Archive for the ‘OCD’ Category

Family Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is Effective for Youth With OCD

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

newstudy-graphic-66x60.jpgA recent open trial conducted by researchers at the University of South Florida tested the effect of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on children and adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The participants were 30 youth (7-19 years old), half boys and half girls, who were partial or nonresponders to two or more medication trials. Each patient received 14 sessions of intensive family-based CBT.

At post-treatment and 3-month follow-up, 80% of participants had improved. Symptom severity was reduced by 54%. Over 50% were classified as being in remission at the end of treatment, and at the 3-month follow-up. While there was no notable difference in self-reported anxiety, researchers observed significant reductions in OCD-related impairment, depressive symptoms, behavioral problems, and family accommodation.

To read the entire article, click here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20390817

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Posted in Children & Adolescents, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, OCD | 1 Comment »

CBT is Effective for Tourette’s Syndrome

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

researchlogo72x65bl-new.jpgA new study is the first to show that CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is effective in patients with Tourette’s syndrome and tic disorders, regardless of their medication status or symptom severity. 76 adult participants, all of whom had been diagnosed with the aforementioned conditions, were divided into two groups; those who were prescribed medication and those who were not. All of the participants underwent four months of individualized, manual-based CBT. Before and after receiving CBT, measures were taken to assess depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and planning style. Also, the Tourette Syndrome Global Scale was employed to assess various factors, including severity and treatment outcome.

 The results demonstrated that both groups—medicated and unmedicated—greatly improved from the CBT. The unmedicated group improved in terms of anxiety, while both groups’ depressive symptoms decreased.

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Posted in Anxiety, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Depression, Medical Disorders, OCD, Tourette's Syndrome | No Comments »

CBT and CBT Plus Medication for the Treatment of OCD in Children

Monday, November 9th, 2009

NewStudy-Graphic-72x72_edited-3 A recent study published in Child and Adolescent Mental Health found both Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and CBT in combination with medication to be effective in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children. During a ten-year period, 75 children were evaluated and treated for OCD in an outpatient setting. Investigators later contacted a subset of that sample to investigate the long-term maintenance of their therapeutic gains. Treatment groups in this follow up investigation included, (1) those treated with medication before beginning CBT, (2) those treated with CBT only, and (3) those treated with CBT and medication, simultaneously. Participants in each group had all met diagnostic criteria for OCD as determined by their Children’s Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS) scores. Long term maintenance was assessed by comparing post-treatment and pre-treatment CYBOCS scores. Results showed significant improvement for each group, yielding further support for the use of CBT and CBT plus medication (SSRIs) in the treatment of OCD.

Reference
Nakatani, E. (2009). Outcomes of cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder in a clinical setting: A 10-year experience from a specialist OCD service for children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 14, 133-139.

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Posted in Anxiety, Children & Adolescents, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, OCD | No Comments »

UK national guidelines emphasize CBT for children and adolescents

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

A recent article in Current Opinion in Psychiatry summarized the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines and reviews of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents with mental health problems.

NICE is the UK’s independent organization responsible for providing national guidance on the “promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.”

For the treatment of depression in children and young people, NICE guidelines recommended “that pharmacological approaches should not be the first-line approach to the treatment of depression in this age group.” It recommended instead “the initial use of psychosocial interventions, including CBT, for all severities of depression.”

Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials suggested the importance of CBT for children and adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. More limited evidence suggested CBT’s benefit in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and others conditions.

The authors noted that CBT for these populations “should be extended by further primary and secondary research.”

Review authors: A. Munoz-Solomando, T. Kendall, C. J. Whittington

Posted in Anxiety, BI Blog Info, Children & Adolescents, Cognitive Therapy, Depression, OCD, United Kingdom (UK) | No Comments »

Research Results: More Cognitive Therapy Studies than We can Keep Up With

Monday, June 4th, 2007

There are always many new studies about Cognitive Therapy’s efficacy for different disorders. Here are some of the most interesting recent studies we’ve come across:

Cognitive Therapy for PTSD Related to Terrorism – 58 patients who were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after exposure to terrorism and civil conflict in Northern Ireland were randomized to either immediate Cognitive Therapy treatment (approximately 5.9 sessions) or no treatment for twelve weeks, followed by two CT sessions. Researchers noted that, “Immediate cognitive therapy was associated with significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, depression, and social and occupational functioning.” This study was published in the British Medical Journal.

Cognitive Therapy for Families Bereaved by Suicide – Research shows that family-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) can help first degree relatives and spouses of those who committed suicide. In this study, 122 relatives of 70 individuals who committed suicide were randomly assigned to either CBT or usual care. The CBT group experienced reduced perceptions of blame and maladaptive grief reactions, even though CBT had little effect on other aspects of bereavement.  

Cognitive Therapy for Adults with OCD – In a recent review, researchers examined 7 different psychological studies and 10 comparison studies (usual care) to consider the efficacy of Cognitive Behavior Therapy treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). “Patients receiving any form of cognitive behavioral treatment had significantly fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms post-treatment than subjects receiving treatment as usual.”

Posted in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, OCD, Post-Traumatic Stress, Research Results, Suicide | 3 Comments »

1/3 of Patients with OCD don’t respond to drugs, don’t get CBT treatment

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

 

Here’s yet another example of patients not receiving the care they need. 

The details: A recent Brown University study (see study abstract here if you’re not registered with Medscape) followed 293 adults with OCD over a three year period, observing whether they received recommended doses of treatment, and how much they improved. 182 of the patients took recommended doses of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), and although 62% rated themselves as being much improved (on a self-report measure called the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale-patient version), 70 of them (more than a third) showed minimal or no improvement, or even got worse.

The other 111 patients in the study received the recommended 13 sessions of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), but only 24% of them had a continuous course of treatment over consecutive weeks. 67% of those who received the recommended, consecutive course of CBT treatment rated themselves as improved. Results indicate that a continuous course of medication for OCD may not be effective for all patients, and that relatively few patients are receiving the recommended course of treatment for CBT.

Posted in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, OCD, Research Results | No Comments »

Research Results: New Review Shows CBT is Effective for Children & Adolescents with OCD

Monday, November 6th, 2006

A new review shows that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is effective for pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). CBT can reduce distress and interfering symptoms among children and adolescents with OCD, and reduce the risk of relapse. CBT is effective by itself, and is also effective with medication, more so than medication alone. This review evaluated four separate studies, which were all randomized controlled trials of CBT for OCD.

Posted in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, OCD, Research Results | No Comments »