Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder: development...

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) offers a scalable solution to improve access to evidence-based mental health treatments.
• Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) requires accessible and effective interventions for young patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of BIP OCD Junior, an ICBT program tailored for young children diagnosed with OCD.
• Evaluate the usability and patient satisfaction with the novel ICBT intervention.

Main Methods:

• An open trial involving eleven children aged 7-11 years with OCD, undergoing a 12-week parent- and therapist-guided ICBT program.
• The primary outcome measure was symptom severity assessed using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS).

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in OCD symptoms was observed post-treatment, with a large effect size on the CY-BOCS (Cohen's d = 1.86).
• Treatment gains were sustained at a 3-month follow-up, indicating lasting effects.
• High levels of credibility and satisfaction were reported by both children and parents regarding the ICBT intervention.

Conclusions:

• BIP OCD Junior presents a feasible and credible ICBT treatment option for young children suffering from OCD.
• Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of BIP OCD Junior compared to traditional face-to-face CBT.