ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Adolescents and adults with Down syndrome are noted to display symptoms and behaviors consistent with a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While evidenced-based interventions, including psychopharmacology and therapeutic interventions including exposure and response prevention, exist and effectively treat obsessive-compulsive symptoms in neurotypical populations, less is known about effective treatments for similar presentations in persons with Down syndrome. METHODS: A scoping rapid review was conducted in April 2023 to determine what treatments are being used to target obsessive-compulsive symptoms and related behaviors in adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, the quality of those treatments, and their alignment with current evidenced-based interventions. RESULTS: A total of eleven articles, all single case or case series, published between 1992 and 2017 were identified describing the treatment of 32 adolescents and adults with Down syndrome and obsessive-compulsive traits and behaviors including: hoarding, cleaning, gross motor compulsions, and food, hygiene, dressing, and checking rituals. Interventions used most often aligned with evidenced-based guidelines for treating obsessive compulsive disorder and included psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and complementary and alternative medicine. CONCLUSIONS: While the outcomes of most interventions yielded partial or significant reduction in symptoms, poor research quality and limited generalizability noted across all studies make it difficult to inform guidelines for caring for this high-needs population. In the future, we believe it is necessary to perform more rigorous research focused on treating obsessive compulsive symptoms in individuals with Down syndrome with sufficient follow-up to fully assess treatment effectiveness.
ABSTRACT
Animal-assisted activities (AAA), a form of animal-assisted interaction, have the potential to improve positive coping for youth with significant psychiatric symptoms admitted to acute behavioral health units. However, little is known regarding the appropriateness of an AAA program in short-term mental health hospital settings. The goal of this investigation is to describe and report on the feasibility and acceptability of embedding a canine-AAA program within the therapeutic programming of a pediatric behavioral health unit. Both patient participants and unit staff completed quantitative and qualitative measures. Outcomes yielded preliminary data suggesting AAA was feasible and acceptable to patients and unit staff. Initial efficacy outcomes demonstrated decreases in subjective distress. Qualitative data provided areas for further refinement of the AAA program.