Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. A review of the literature.

The literature on treatment of childhood and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder is reviewed. Most studies concerning treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder has been based on experience from adult patients. Only a few controlled trials using medication with obsessive-compulsive children have been produced. No controlled study has as yet documented the effect of behavioural therapy alone. The most effective treatment seems to be a combination of behavioural therapy and medication with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. In the treatment of children with OCD, it is important to consider the child's personality and comorbid disorders.