Assessing Acute Secondary Treatment Outcomes in Early-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Behavioral Therapy
• Pediatric Mental Health

Background:

• Early-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children under 8 shares features with older children, including severity, impairment, and comorbidity.
• Family-based cognitive behavioral therapy (FB-CBT) is effective for OCD symptoms and impairment in 5-8 year olds.
• The impact of FB-CBT on comorbid psychiatric symptoms in this age group remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the acute effects of FB-CBT versus family-based relaxation treatment over 14 weeks.
• To assess the impact on secondary treatment outcomes (non-OCD symptoms) in children with early-onset OCD.
• To evaluate changes in behavioral, emotional, internalizing, externalizing, and anxiety symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial comparing FB-CBT with family-based relaxation treatment.
• Participants included children diagnosed with early-onset OCD (under 8 years).
• Treatment duration was 14 weeks, with assessments conducted pre- and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Children receiving FB-CBT demonstrated significant improvements in overall behavioral and emotional problems from pre- to post-treatment.
• FB-CBT led to a significant decrease in internalizing symptoms and overall anxiety symptom severity.
• No significant changes were observed in externalizing symptoms for either treatment condition.

Conclusions:

• FB-CBT shows efficacy in reducing comorbid anxiety and emotional difficulties in early-onset OCD.
• The findings suggest FB-CBT may be a valuable intervention for addressing broader psychological distress in young children with OCD.
• Further research is needed to explore long-term effects and specific mechanisms of change.