Comorbidity and treatment response in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study of group cognitive-behavioral treatment

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Author(s)
Farrell, Lara
Waters, Allison
Milliner, Ella
Ollendick, Thomas
Year published
2012
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This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) on treatment outcomes for children and adolescents who presented with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and complex comorbid conditions, including depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Specifically, the impact of comorbidity on treatment response rates and remission rates was examined. Forty-three youth (aged 7-17) with OCD participated in group family-based CBT. Assessments were conducted at pre- and post-treatment and 6 months. Eighty-six percent of youth presented with a ...
View more >This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) on treatment outcomes for children and adolescents who presented with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and complex comorbid conditions, including depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Specifically, the impact of comorbidity on treatment response rates and remission rates was examined. Forty-three youth (aged 7-17) with OCD participated in group family-based CBT. Assessments were conducted at pre- and post-treatment and 6 months. Eighty-six percent of youth presented with a secondary psychiatric disorder, and 74% presented with a tertiary psychiatric condition. Contrary to the expected, comorbidity was not associated with poorer treatment outcomes at post-assessment. At longer term follow-up (6 months), however, treatment outcomes were poorer for youth with multiple comorbid conditions and for those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The finding that group CBT is largely effective for youth with comorbid conditions is of clinical and practical significance. Group delivery of CBT provides an efficient and cost-effective approach, and alleviates strain on services and service providers. Continued efforts are needed to improve long-term outcomes for youth with multiple comorbid conditions and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Examining treatment response as a function of comorbidity with larger clinical samples is important to extend this research.
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View more >This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) on treatment outcomes for children and adolescents who presented with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and complex comorbid conditions, including depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Specifically, the impact of comorbidity on treatment response rates and remission rates was examined. Forty-three youth (aged 7-17) with OCD participated in group family-based CBT. Assessments were conducted at pre- and post-treatment and 6 months. Eighty-six percent of youth presented with a secondary psychiatric disorder, and 74% presented with a tertiary psychiatric condition. Contrary to the expected, comorbidity was not associated with poorer treatment outcomes at post-assessment. At longer term follow-up (6 months), however, treatment outcomes were poorer for youth with multiple comorbid conditions and for those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The finding that group CBT is largely effective for youth with comorbid conditions is of clinical and practical significance. Group delivery of CBT provides an efficient and cost-effective approach, and alleviates strain on services and service providers. Continued efforts are needed to improve long-term outcomes for youth with multiple comorbid conditions and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Examining treatment response as a function of comorbidity with larger clinical samples is important to extend this research.
View less >
Journal Title
Psychiatry Research
Volume
199
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2012 Elsevier. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Psychology
Clinical sciences
Clinical and health psychology