Abstract/Summary

Background: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an effective treatment for preadolescent children with OCD, however, there is a need to increase access to this treatment for affected children. Aims: This study is a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy and acceptability of a brief therapist guided, parent-led CBT intervention for preadolescent children (5- to 12-years-old) with OCD using a non-concurrent multiple baseline approach. Method: Parents of 10 children with OCD were randomly allocated to no-treatment baselines of 3-, 4-, or 5-weeks before receiving 6-to-8- individual treatment sessions with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. Diagnostic measures were completed prior to the baseline, one-week post-treatment, and at a one-month follow-up and parents completed weekly measures of children’s OCD symptoms/impairment. Results: Seventy percent of children were ‘responders’ and/or ‘remitters’ on diagnostic measures at post-treatment, and 60% at the one-month follow-up. At least 50% of children showed reliable improvements on parent-reported OCD symptoms/impairment from pre- to post-treatment, and from pre-treatment to one-month follow-up. Crucially, the intervention was acceptable to parents. Conclusions: Brief therapist guided, parent-led CBT has the potential to be an effective, acceptable, and accessible first-line treatment for preadolescent children with OCD, subject to the findings of further evaluations.