An open trial of intensive family based cognitive-behavioral therapy in youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder who are medication partial responders or nonresponders.

This study reports an open-trial of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty primarily Caucasian youth with OCD (range = 7-19 years; 15 girls) who were partial responders or nonresponders to two or more medication trials that were delivered either serially or concomitantly received 14 sessions of intensive family-based CBT. Eighty percent of participants were considered improved at posttreatment and at 3-month follow-up, and symptom severity was reduced by 54% at both posttreatment and follow-up. Seventeen (56.6%) and 16 (53.3%) participants were classified as being in remission at posttreatment and follow-up, respectively. Significant reductions in OCD-related impairment, depressive symptoms, behavioral problems, and family accommodation were noted. No significant difference in youth-reported anxiety was found.