Can the Whiteley Index be used to assess health anxiety in adolescents from the general population?

Health anxiety (HA) is characterized by worry about being or becoming ill. The Whiteley Index (WI) is a valid and frequently used measure for HA in adults. We examined item response distribution, floor and ceiling effects, and construct validity of four different one-factor models of the WI (an 8-item model, the widely used WI-7, a revised 7-item version (WI-7-R), and a 6-item version (WI-6-R)) in a population-based sample of adolescents, using data from the 16-17-year follow-up of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 (N = 2521, 16-17 years old). Females generally scored higher on all eight WI items compared to males. Construct validity was examined by confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing. The WI-7-R and WI-6-R both showed acceptable fits. All four models showed good internal consistency. Hypothesis testing showed good discriminant validity, as the hypotheses on positive correlations with anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms, as well as a negative correlation with health-related quality of life, were met for both the WI-7-R and WI-6-R. We advocate for the use of the WI-6-R, which focuses on core HA symptoms and excludes items concerning physical symptoms. The overall testing supports that the WI-6-R possesses valid psychometric properties for use with adolescents in the general population.

A General Factor of Psychopathology Predicts Treatment and Long-Term Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are at risk for long-term adversity, but factors influencing long-term outcomes are unclear. A general factor of psychopathology, often referred to as the p factor, captures variance shared by all mental disorders and has predicted long-term outcomes in youth with anxiety and depressive disorders. The p factor has never been examined in relation to outcomes in pediatric OCD. Here, we examine whether the p factor predicts 4 important outcomes over both short and long durations in youth with OCD. METHOD: We used data from the Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study (NordLOTS), in which youth with OCD (N = 248, mean age = 12.83 years [SD = 2.72], 51.6% girls) received exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy. The p factor was estimated using parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist data at baseline and was examined in relation to clinician-rated OCD severity, clinician-rated psychosocial functioning, self-reported depressive symptoms, and self- and parent-reported quality of life directly after treatment and 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment. RESULTS: The p factor was associated with acute treatment outcomes for OCD severity and psychosocial functioning, but not for depressive symptoms and quality of life. For the long-term outcomes, the p factor was significantly associated with all outcomes except OCD severity. The p factor outperformed traditional psychiatric comorbidity as a predictor of long-term outcomes. CONCLUSION: Youth with OCD who experience symptoms across multiple psychiatric domains have poorer long-term outcomes. Compared to traditional classification of psychiatric diagnoses, assessing psychopathology using a dimensional p factor approach may be advantageous for informing prognosis in pediatric OCD.

Exploring latent clusters in pediatric OCD based on symptoms, severity, age, gender, and comorbidity.

Given diverse symptom expression and high rates of comorbid conditions, the present study explored underlying commonalities among OCD-affected children and adolescents to better conceptualize disorder presentation and associated features. Data from 830 OCD-affected participants presenting to OCD specialty centers was aggregated. Dependent mixture modeling was used to examine latent clusters based on their age- and gender adjusted symptom severity (as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale; CY-BOCS), symptom type (as measured by factor scores calculated from the CY-BOCS symptom checklist), and comorbid diagnoses (as assessed via diagnostic interviews). Fit statistics favored a four-cluster model with groups distinguished primarily by symptom expression and comorbidity type. Fit indices for 3-7 cluster models were only marginally different and characteristics of the clusters remained largely stable between solutions with small clusters of distinct presentations added in more complex models. Rather than identifying a single classification system, the findings support the utility of integrating dimensional, developmental, and transdiagnostic information in the conceptualization of OCD-affected children and adolescents. Identified clusters point to the centrality of contamination concerns to OCD, relationships between broader symptom expression and higher levels of comorbidity, and the potential for complex/neurodevelopmental presentations.

Remission and Relapse Across Three Years in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Following Evidence-Based Treatments.

OBJECTIVE: To examine relapse rates following remission in a 3-year follow-up study in pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in a first step, and either continued CBT or sertraline (randomized selection) in a second step. METHOD: Participants (N = 269) fulfilled DSM-IV OCD criteria with a mean severity on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) of 24.6 (SD = 5.1) and were included in analyses according to intent-to-treat principles. CBT used manualized exposure and response prevention (ERP) during both steps 1 and 2, and step 2 sertraline medication used flexible dosing. The follow-up schedules were timed to 6, 12, 24, and 36 months following step 1 CBT. Remission was defined as a CY-BOCS score ≤10 and relapse as an elevated CY-BOCS score ≥16 in those who had remitted. RESULTS: A good third of our patients were in stable and full remission at all examinations (n = 98, 36.4%). Further, some in remission following treatment (n = 36, 13.4%) had mild OCD at some examinations. Relapses during follow-up were not uncommon (n = 28, 10.4%), but in many patients these improved again (n = 10, 3.7%) and were in remission at the final 3-year follow-up. Furthermore, a considerable proportion (n = 50, 18.6%) of the patients were initial non-remitters to the treatment but achieved remission at some point during the follow-up. In addition, 11.5% (n = 31) had persistent OCD but reached remission by the last follow-up. Finally, a smaller segment of our sample (9.7%, n = 26), did not attain remission at any point during the study. CONCLUSION: Our outcome paints a more promising picture of pediatric OCD long-term outcome than previous studies have done. However, both relapse rates and the presence of initial non-remitters and persistent OCD show that treatments need improvement, particularly for those who respond slowly, partially, or not at all. The lack of a general psychiatric interview at follow-up is a marked limitation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Nordic Long-term Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; https://www.isrctn.com; ISRCTN66385119.

Evaluating the Interrater Reliability of the Icelandic Version of K-SADS-PL DSM-5.

The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) is a valuable tool for diagnosing mental disorders in children and adolescents. Previous studies have examined its interrater reliability, but there is limited information on individual disorders, on the updated DSM-5 version. This study aims to analyse the interrater reliability of the Icelandic translation of K-SADS-PL, DSM-5 version. K-SADS-PL was administered to a clinical sample of outpatients from the Icelandic Anxiety Centre for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults, and The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Landspítali, the National University Hospital in Reykjavík, Iceland. In total, 135 patients aged 6-18 were included in this study. We assessed the interrater reliability using Cohen's κ, with results ranging from poor to excellent (0.3-1.0), though most disorders showed excellent reliability (κ > 0.75). The Icelandic translation of the DSM-5 K-SADS-PL is generally reliable when used by properly trained post-graduate students, which supports its use in clinical settings.

Family Accommodation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Investigating Prevalence and Clinical Correlates in the NordLOTS Study.

Family accommodation (FA) involves the actions taken by family members, particularly parents, to accommodate a child´s obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, reducing distress or impairment. This behavior may maintain compulsive and avoidant behavior, preventing corrective learning or habituation. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and factors influencing FA in a large Scandinavian sample of children with OCD. We assessed 238 children using standardized diagnostic interviews, OCD symptom severity assessments and questionnaires evaluating functional impairment and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. FA was measured using the Family Accommodation Scale, a 12-item clinician-rated interview. Our results confirmed a high frequency of accommodation, with approximately 70% of primary caregivers reporting some accommodation daily and 98% at least once per week. FA was associated with increased OCD symptom severity, contamination/cleaning symptoms, internalizing and externalizing behavior, and functional impairment. Linear regression analysis showed that high levels of FA are specifically associated with lower age, higher OCD symptom severity, parent-reported impairment, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms. A path analysis revealed that FA partially mediated the relationship between OCD severity, externalizing symptoms, and child's age, highlighting the role of FA in the progression of OCD and related symptoms. The findings emphasize the importance of evaluating FA before initiating treatment and specifically addressing it during the therapeutic process.

Do Autistic Traits Predict Outcome of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

The first aim of this study was to explore whether children with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and subclinical autistic traits can be differentiated from children with OCD without these traits based on clinical OCD-related characteristics, distinct OCD symptom patterns, and type of comorbidity. The second aim was to investigate whether autistic traits predict immediate and long-term outcome of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in pediatric OCD.The participants in this study were a total of 257 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years, recruited from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden as a part of the Nordic long-term OCD treatment study (NordLOTS). Inclusion criteria were an OCD diagnosis based on DSM-IV criteria and a Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) total severity score of 16 or higher. No children with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum were included. An Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) cut-off score of ≥ 17 was used to define the group of OCD patients with autistic traits and all participants were treated with 14 weekly sessions of manualized CBT.Comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and tic disorders, subclinical internalizing and externalizing symptoms, lower insight into OCD symptoms, more indecisiveness and pervasive slowness, and ordering/arranging OCD symptoms were found to be significantly associated with having OCD with autistic traits. No difference was found between the groups on treatment outcomes.Results suggest that children and adolescents with OCD and autistic traits portray a different clinical profile than those without these traits, but that CBT is equally effective for those with and without autistic traits.

Long-term functional impairment in pediatric OCD after and during treatment: An analysis of distinct trajectories.

The present study aimed to: (a) identify latent class trajectories of OCD-related functional impairment, before, during and over three years after stepped-care treatment in children and adolescents with OCD; (b) describe these classes according to pretreatment characteristics; (c) identify predictors of trajectory class membership and (d) examine the relationship of functional impairment trajectory classes with OCD symptom severity trajectory classes. The sample consisted of 266 children and adolescents (aged 7-17 years) with OCD, participating in the Nordic long-term OCD treatment study. Latent class growth analysis was conducted using Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale-Revised (COIS-R) data from children and parents on seven assessment points over a three-year period. A 3-class solution was identified. The largest class (70.7%) initiated treatment with lower functional impairment and obtained moderate reduction which was maintained over time. The second class (24.4%) initiated with higher functional impairment which rapidly diminished over time. The third and smallest class (4.9%), initiated with moderate functional impairment which remained stable over time. The classes differed on measures of OCD severity and comorbid symptoms. Most participants improved with treatment and maintained low levels of impairment. However, a subgroup distinguished by higher levels of ADHD symptoms, remained at pretreatment levels of impairment throughout.

Body Dysmorphic Symptoms in Youth with Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: Prevalence, Clinical Correlates, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Outcome.

The aims of the study were to estimate the prevalence of body dysmorphic symptoms in a sample of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, possible clinical correlates and whether BDD symptoms predict poorer treatment outcomes after cognitive behavioral therapy. The study included 269 children and adolescents with OCD, aged 7-17 years, from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, who were treated with 14 weekly sessions of manualized, exposure-based CBT. Twenty-one patients (7.8%) had BDD symptoms. BDD symptoms were associated with older age (p = 0.003) and a higher prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders (p = 0.025). In addition, patients with BDD symptoms endorsed a greater number of OCD symptoms than did those without BDD symptoms. Having symptoms of BDD did not affect the CBT outcome on OCD. The results of the study suggest that CBT for OCD is equally effective for those with and without comorbid BDD symptoms.

Specific Contamination Symptoms are Associated with Experiencing a Limited Response of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Pediatric Patients with OCD.

A recent study identified three distinct treatment-response trajectories in pediatric OCD where higher levels of contamination symptoms predicted a limited response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This study extends these findings by examining which specific symptoms characterize limited CBT response from baseline to 3-year follow-up, with an emphasis on contamination symptoms. The study sample comprised 269 pediatric patients with OCD, all receiving stepped-care treatment with manualized CBT. Differences in single item-reporting between the three trajectory groups were examined using linear mixed-effect modeling. Limited responders displayed a higher symptom load across all OCD symptom categories at 3-year follow-up, dominated by contamination symptoms. Five of these (obsessions about dirt and germs, about bodily fluids, about the feeling of contamination and compulsions regarding handwashing and showering) showed persistence from baseline to 3-year follow-up. The results indicate that presence of specific contamination symptoms may influence long-term symptom severity trajectories in young patients with OCD.

Age differences in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder: symptoms, comorbidity, severity and impairment.

BACKGROUND: Studies on child and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) indicate that symptom severity is similar across age, but significant age differences of symptom profile and comorbid disorders have been observed. These earlier studies have yielded mixed results, are methodologically heterogenous and tend to have fairly small sample sizes. The current study examines these differences in one of the largest samples to date and the first sample outside of an English-speaking cultural context. METHODS: We compared children aged 11 years and younger to adolescents aged 12 years and older from the Nordic Long-Term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment Study that included 269 children and adolescents with a primary diagnosis of OCD. The two groups were compared on measures of OCD severity, symptom profile, comorbid symptoms, and functional impairment. RESULTS: Results showed that the younger group had a poorer level of insight, higher rates of ADHD, and disruptive disorders. The older group had higher levels of mental compulsions, miscellaneous obsessions and compulsions, and self-rated functional impairment. No differences were found on the prevalence of anxiety, tic or depressive disorders between the age groups, nor on overall OCD severity. CONCLUSION: Overall, differences between the age groups were found to be less than in previous research. Defining groups by age of onset and duration of illness rather than age at evaluation did not change results. Mental health services in Scandinavia are free of cost, making early intervention more accessible, which may reduce subsequent secondary problems and explain these findings.

Parent-youth agreement on psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms: results from an adolescent outpatient clinical sample.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research suggests that agreement, between youths and their parents, regarding assessment of youth psychiatric problems is limited. Due to this discrepancy, a multi-informant, multimethod approach is recommended when gathering psychopathological information. This study examines parent-youth agreement regarding youth psychiatric problems. It does so at a diagnostic level and at a symptom level, as well as studying the influence of age, gender, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as potential moderators of agreement. METHODS: The participants in this study were 61 adolescents aged 12-18 years and their parents. The K-SADS-PL DSM-5 was administered in two outpatient units, with adolescents and their parents interviewed separately. Participants also rated symptoms using a broad rating scale (Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report) prior to being interviewed. RESULTS: Parent-youth agreement at a diagnostic level ranged from fair to excellent. Agreement at a symptom level was lower than that at a diagnostic level, ranging from poor to fair. These results indicate that parent-youth agreement regarding diagnosis and symptoms is higher than in most previous studies. The results also suggest that some variables, such as age, gender, depressive disorders, and ADHD, potentially influence agreement on symptoms. CONCLUSION: These findings support the importance of gathering information from both children and parents, and that clinicians should consider moderating factors when integrating data from multiple informants.

Quality of life in pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder during and 3 years after stepped-care treatment.

The present study aimed to investigate the long-term quality of life (QoL) in a large sample of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. The study included 220 pediatric OCD patients from the Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study (NordLOTS) who were evaluated at seven time points before, during, and after stepped-care treatment over a 3-year follow-up period. Data from three symptom severity trajectory classes formed the basis of the QoL evaluation: acute (n = 127, N = 147), slow (n = 46, N = 63), and limited responders (n = 47, N = 59). Patients' QoL was assessed using parent and child ratings of the revised Questionnaire for Measuring Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (KINDL-R). QoL was analyzed by trajectory class using a random mixed effects model. The association between pre-treatment factors and long-term QoL was investigated across classes in a multivariate model. Three years after treatment, the acute responder class had reached QoL levels from a general population, whereas the limited responder class had not. The slow responder class reached norm levels for the child-rated QoL only. Higher levels of co-occurring externalizing symptoms before treatment were associated with lower parent-rated QoL during follow-up, while adolescence and higher levels of co-occurring internalizing symptoms were associated with lower child-rated QoL during follow-up. For some patients, residual OCD symptoms in the years after treatment, even at levels below assumed clinical significance, are associated with compromised QoL. Co-occurring symptoms could be part of the explanation. Assessing QoL after OCD treatment, beyond the clinician-rated symptom severity, could detect patients in need of further treatment and/or assessment. Trial registry: Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; www.controlled-trials.com ; ISRCTN66385119.

Health anxiety symptoms in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: patient characteristics and effect on treatment outcome.

The aim was to explore the potential clinical role of health anxiety (HA) symptoms in children and adolescents diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The study investigated differences in demographic and various clinical variables between young people with OCD, with and without HA symptoms, and the effect of HA symptoms on overall OCD treatment outcome. The study sample comprised 269 children and adolescents with OCD (aged 7-17 years) from the large Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study. OCD symptoms and severity were assessed with The Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), which includes one item regarding HA-like obsessions and one item regarding HA-like compulsions that were used to define the HA group. Several other instruments were used to assess comorbidity and other clinical aspects. All participants were treated with 14 weekly protocolled sessions of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). HA symptoms were present in 31% of participants. Other anxiety symptoms and comorbid anxiety disorders were more prevalent among those with HA symptoms. These patients also presented with significantly more types of OCD symptoms. HA symptoms were reduced following OCD treatment with CBT and having HA symptoms did not affect CBT outcome. Results suggest that pediatric OCD with HA symptoms is characterized by more anxiety symptoms and a more heterogeneous OCD symptom profile. Standardized CBT seems equally effective in treating child and adolescent OCD with or without HA symptoms.Clinical trials registration: Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment Study: www.controlled-trials.com ; ISRCTN66385119.

Comorbidities in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Comorbidities are seen with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across the lifespan. Neurodevelopmental comorbidities are common in young children, followed by mood, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs) in children, adolescents and adults, and neurological and degenerative disorders in the elderly. Understanding comorbidity prevalence and patterns has clinical and research implications. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on comorbidities in OCD across the lifespan, with the objective to, first, estimate age-wise pattern and prevalence of comorbidities with OCD and, second, to examine associations of demographic (age at assessment, gender distribution) and clinical characteristics (age of onset, illness severity) with comorbidities. Four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO) were searched using predefined search terms for articles published between 1979 and 2020. Eligible studies, across age, reported original findings on comorbidities and had an OCD sample size of ≥100. We excluded studies that did not use standardised diagnostic assessments, or that excluded patients on the basis of comorbidity. We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The review protocol has been registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. A comorbidity rate of 69% was found in a pooled sample of more than 15,000 individuals. Mood disorders (major depressive disorder), anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety disorder), neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and OCRDs were the commonest comorbidities. Anxiety disorders prevailed in children, mood disorders in adults, whereas NDDs were similarly prevalent. Higher comorbidity with any psychiatric illness, NDDs, and severe mental disorders was seen in males, vs. females. Illness severity was inversely associated with rates for panic disorder, tic disorders, OCRDs, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and anorexia nervosa. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides base rates for comorbidities in OCD across the lifespan. This has implications for comprehensive clinical evaluation and management planning. The high variability in comorbidity rates suggests the need for quality, multi-centric, large studies, using prospective designs. Systematic Review Registration: Unique Identifier: CRD42020215904.

Immediate reactions to the covid-19 pandemic in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a self-report survey.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies are available that investigate the reactions to COVID-19 pandemic by people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Due to the nature of the pandemic and the heightened focus on contamination, cleaning, and social distancing, it is likely that a deterioration of OCD symptoms and severity will be seen. AIMS: Our aims were to evaluate (1) self-reported changes in OCD symptom severity of adults with OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, (2) whether the COVID-19 pandemic would trigger self-reported contamination symptoms in persons with no history of such symptoms, (3) self-reported variables associated with OCD symptom severity change, and 4) self-reported changes in quality of life. METHOD: A 47-item self-report questionnaire was sent to all members of the Danish OCD Association and the final sample comprised 201 adult participants. The association of OCD severity change with demographic and clinical variables was analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS: 61.2% of participants reported an increase in OCD severity, based on the retrospective self-report. Female gender, self-reported contamination symptoms, and self-reported psychiatric comorbidity were found to have a significant association with increasing OCD severity. Five participants reported the emergence of contamination symptoms and two of harm related symptoms. Thirty participants reported a severe reduction in quality of life (≥80). CONCLUSIONS: A large group of people suffering from OCD may require special attention and care during a pandemic like COVID-19 in order to lessen the deterioration of OCD symptoms and also to minimize the reduction in quality of life evident in this group.

Factor analysis of the eating disorder examination in a sample of female adolescents and adults with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the construct validity of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) show mixed results and none have included samples of adults with a sole diagnosis of either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Thus, we examine the EDE's construct validity in a Danish clinical sample of adolescents and adults with eating disorders. METHOD: Confirmatory factor analyses of the four-factor model indicated by the original four subscales and subsequent ad hoc exploratory factor analyses were performed in a sample of patients with eating disorders (N = 1,586) divided into five subsamples based on age and diagnosis: (a) adolescents with anorexia nervosa, (b) women with anorexia nervosa, (c) women with bulimia nervosa, and women with atypical versions of (d) anorexia nervosa, and (e) bulimia nervosa. RESULTS: The four-factor model was not confirmed in these five subsamples. Subsequent exploratory factor analyses did not reveal a single model fit for all five groups. Rather, eating-disorder symptoms can be understood through a one-, two-, or three-factor model depending on the subsample. DISCUSSION: The four-factor model indicated by the original EDE subscales cannot be supported. The four subscales should be used with great care, if used at all, in trying to understand specific symptoms of eating disorders.

Treatment Gains Are Sustainable in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Three-Year Follow-Up From the NordLOTS.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the long-term outcomes of a stepped care treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and investigated whether response to first-step cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an important indicator of 3-year outcomes. METHOD: This study is a part of the Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study (NordLOTS), in which 269 children and adolescents were treated with CBT. Nonresponders to CBT were randomized to extended treatment with continued CBT or pharmacotherapy with sertraline. Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) scores no higher than 15 and no higher than 10 were defined as treatment response and remission, respectively. Participants were assessed 2 and 3 years after first-step CBT. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the outcomes. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses showed a significant decrease in CY-BOCS total score from baseline (24.6) to 3-year follow-up (5.0; p = .001), with a mean decrease of 5.9 from after treatment to 3-year follow-up. Three years after treatment, 90% (n = 242) of participants were rated as responders and 73% were in clinical remission. The duration of treatment did not influence the symptom level at 3-year follow-up (p = .998) and no significant difference was found (p = .169) between the extended treatment conditions. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that evidence-based treatment for pediatric OCD has long-term positive effects, whether a first step of manual-based CBT or extended treatment with CBT or sertraline. The improvements were maintained, and the symptoms decreased further during follow-up and were, after 3 years, similarly independent of treatment duration and form of extended treatment. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; www.controlled-trials.com; ISRCTN66385119.

Predictors of treatment outcome for youth receiving intensive residential treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Little is known about the predictors of outcome from intensive residential treatment of OCD. This study aimed to examine age, gender, and baseline OCD severity, as well as measures of comorbid anxiety and depressive, internalizing/externalizing, and inattention symptoms, as predictors of treatment outcome in adolescents receiving intensive residential treatment for OCD. The sample comprised 314 adolescents aged 13-17 years with treatment-resistant OCD and a Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Self-Report (CY-BOCS-SR) total score ≥16. Bivariate and multiple regression models were used to evaluate the predictors of continuous OCD severity outcome and treatment response. Results of the bivariate regression analyses of predictors demonstrated that length of treatment, pre-treatment OCD severity, and symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly predicted post-treatment OCD severity, while only symptoms of depression and anxiety predicted treatment response. When including all predictors in the same model, only baseline OCD severity remained a significant predictor of post-treatment OCD severity, and none of the assessed variables significantly predicted treatment response. Results indicate that low pre-treatment OCD severity predicts lower OCD severity following treatment, although it did not predict treatment response.

Distinct trajectories of long-term symptom severity in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder during and after stepped-care treatment.

BACKGROUND: First-line treatments for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). No studies have thus far identified distinct classes and associated predictors of long-term symptom severity during and after treatment. Yet, these could form the basis for more personalized treatment in pediatric OCD. METHOD: The study included 269 OCD patients aged 7-17 years from the Nordic Long-term OCD Treatment Study (NordLOTS). All participants received stepped-care treatment starting with 14 weekly sessions of manualized CBT. Nonresponders were randomized to either prolonged CBT or SSRIs. Symptom severity was assessed using the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale at seven time points from pre- to post-treatment and over a three-year follow-up. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was performed to identify latent classes of symptom severity trajectories. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect differences between classes and identify predictors of trajectory class membership including several clinical and demographic variables. TRIAL REGISTRY: Nordic Long-term Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Study; www.controlled-trials.com; ISRCTN66385119. RESULTS: Three LCGA classes were identified: (a) acute, sustained responders (54.6%); (b) slow, continued responders (23.4%); and (c) limited long-term responders (21.9%). Class membership was predicted by distinct baseline characteristics pertaining to age, symptom severity, contamination/cleaning and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The LCGA suggests three distinct trajectory classes of long-term symptom severity during and after treatment in pediatric OCD with different clinical profiles at pretreatment. The results point to required clinical attention for adolescent patients with contamination/cleaning and anxiety symptoms who do not show convincing responses to first-line treatment even though they may have reached the established cutoff for treatment response.