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.

Physical activity on prescription for children with obesity: a focus group study exploring experiences in paediatric healthcare.

Background: Insufficient physical activity is a growing public health concern and is closely linked to obesity in both adults and children. Swedish physical activity on prescription (PAP) is effective in increasing physical activity levels in adults, but knowledge about how PAP is used in paediatric healthcare is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explore experiences of working with PAP for children with obesity amongst paediatric staff and managers. Methods: Seven focus group discussions with 26 participants from paediatric outpatient clinics in western Sweden were conducted. Data were analysed both inductively and deductively, framed by the Normalization Process Theory's four core constructs: coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. Results: The PAP work for children with obesity was experienced to be about helping children to become physically active, and less about losing weight. Identified barriers for using PAP were the non-uniform nature of the work and a perceived lack of guidelines. Collaboration with physiotherapists and physical activity organisers outside the organisation was identified as an important facilitator. An important contextual factor for implementing PAP is the collaboration between paediatric clinics and physical activity organisers. In the transition between these stakeholders, maintaining a family-centred approach when working with PAP was experienced as challenging. Conclusions: PAP is a well-known intervention that is inconsistently used for children with obesity. The intervention should include a family-centred approach for this patient group. It also needs to align better with existing collaborations with other healthcare units as well as with new forms of collaboration with physical activity organisers in the community.

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.

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 effect of stepped-care vs in-person cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Long-term follow-up data from trials of digital mental health interventions are rare. This study reports 2-year follow-up data from a non-inferiority trial (N = 152) comparing stepped-care (internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] followed by traditional in-person CBT if needed) vs in-person CBT for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both treatment groups had comparable long-term effects, with the majority of participants being responders (stepped-care 66 %; in-person CBT 71 %) 2 years after the end of treatment.

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.

Implementation of physical activity on prescription for children with obesity in paediatric health care (IMPA): protocol for a feasibility and evaluation study using quantitative and qualitative methods.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a main cause of childhood obesity which tracks into adulthood obesity, making it important to address early in life. Physical activity on prescription (PAP) is an evidence-based intervention that has shown good effect on physical activity levels in adults, but has not been evaluated in children with obesity. This project aims to evaluate the prerequisites, determinants, and feasibility of implementing PAP adapted to children with obesity and to explore children's, parents', and healthcare providers' experiences of PAP. METHODS: In the first phase of the project, healthcare providers and managers from 26 paediatric clinics in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden, will be invited to participate in a web-based survey and a subset of this sample for a focus group study. Findings from these two data collections will form the basis for adaptation of PAP to the target group and context. In a second phase, this adapted PAP intervention will be evaluated in a clinical study in a sample of approximately 60 children with obesity (ISO-BMI > 30) between 6 and 12 years of age and one of their parents/legal guardians. Implementation process and clinical outcomes will be assessed pre- and post-intervention and at 8 and 12 months' follow-up. Implementation outcomes are the four core constructs of the Normalization Process Theory; coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring; and appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of the PAP intervention. Additional implementation process outcomes are recruitment and attrition rates, intervention fidelity, dose, and adherence. Clinical outcomes are physical activity pattern, BMI, metabolic risk factors, health-related quality of life, sleep, and self-efficacy and motivation for physical activity. Lastly, we will explore the perspectives of children and parents in semi-structured interviews. Design and analysis of the included studies are guided by the Normalization Process Theory. DISCUSSION: This project will provide new knowledge regarding the feasibility of PAP for children with obesity and about whether and how an evidence-based intervention can be fitted and adapted to new contexts and populations. The results may inform a larger scale trial and future implementation and may enhance the role of PAP in the management of obesity in paediatric health care in Sweden. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847271 , registered 14 April 2021.

Prerequisites for implementing physical activity on prescription for children with obesity in paediatric health care: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: Physical inactivity is a main driver of childhood obesity that tracks into adulthood, making it crucial to address early in life. Swedish physical activity on prescription (PAP) is an effective intervention for increasing physical activity levels in adults and is being implemented in primary care in Sweden. Before implementing PAP for children, both intervention effectiveness and implementation prerequisites need to be examined. Framed by the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) domains, this study aimed to investigate perceptions of PAP amongst paediatric staff and managers working with children with obesity, as well as acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and barriers and facilitators for implementing PAP in paediatric health care. Methods: Staff and managers in 28 paediatric outpatient clinics in western Sweden were surveyed using validated implementation instruments and open-ended questions. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Qualitative data were categorised into NPT domains. Results: The survey response rate was 54% (125/229). Most respondents (82%) reported PAP to be familiar and many (56%) perceived it as a normal part of work; nurses and physiotherapists to a greater extent (p < 0.001). This was anticipated to increase in the future (82%), especially amongst those with the longest work experience (p = 0.012). Respondents reported seeing the potential value in their work with PAP (77%), being open to working in new ways to use PAP (94%), and having confidence in their colleagues' ability to use PAP (77%). Barriers and facilitators were found in all the NPT domains, mainly collective action and reflexive monitoring, where, for example, inadequacies of education, resources, and research on PAP for children were reported as barriers. Most respondents agreed that PAP was acceptable, appropriate, and feasible (71% to 88%). Conclusions: PAP is familiar and perceived as an acceptable, appropriate, and feasible intervention, and by many viewed as a normal part of clinical routines in paediatric outpatient clinics in western Sweden, especially by physiotherapists and nurses. Barriers and faciliators are mainly related to collective action and reflexive monitoring. The wide acceptance demonstrates receptiveness to PAP as an intervention to promote an active lifestyle for children with obesity.

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.

Neurochemical properties measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy may predict cognitive behaviour therapy outcome in paediatric OCD: a pilot study.

To identify neurochemical factors measured pre-treatment that may predict cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) outcome, aiming at understanding possible causes of poor CBT response. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used before treatment with CBT in treatment naïve 11-18 year-old patients with moderate-severe OCD. Diagnoses and assessment of OCD severity were based on semi-structured interviews. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyse the association between metabolite level and treatment outcome. Worse CBT outcome was associated with higher concentration of glutamine and glutamate combined (Glx) in middle cingulate cortex (MCC) (F = + 3.35, p = 0.004) and of N-acetylaspartate and N-acetylaspartylglutamate combined (tNAA) (F = + 2.59, p = 0.019). Also, we noted a tendency towards higher thalamic Glx concentration (F = + 1.91, p = 0.077) to be associated with worse CBT outcome. In general, the findings of the current pilot study are compatible with the hypothesis of an overweight of excitatory to inhibitory factors in brain circuits driving goal-directed behaviours (GDB). Higher MCC Glx and tNAA may be involved in the selection of GDB. A more detailed understanding of how these brain areas function in health and illness is needed.

Cost-effectiveness of Internet-Delivered vs In-Person Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Importance: Therapist-guided, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment option for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, but to our knowledge, its cost-effectiveness compared with traditional in-person treatment has not been established. Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy implemented within a stepped-care model compared with in-person cognitive behavioral therapy for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation of a randomized noninferiority trial conducted at 2 specialist obsessive-compulsive disorder clinics in Sweden enrolled 152 children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder, mainly through clinician referrals (110 [72%]). Recruitment began October 6, 2017, and ended May 24, 2019. Follow-up ended April 14, 2020. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to receive either guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy or in-person cognitive behavioral therapy during a 16-week period. At the 3-month follow-up, nonresponders in both groups were offered additional in-person cognitive behavior therapy sessions. Main Outcomes and Measures: Health outcomes were treatment response rates (primary outcome), remission rates, and quality-adjusted life-years. Cost data were collected before treatment, after treatment, at 3-month follow-up, and at 6-month follow-up (primary end point) and are presented in 2020 US dollars. The differences in incremental costs and health outcomes were compared between the groups and presented from the health care professional, health care sector, and societal perspectives. Results: A total of 152 participants (94 girls [62%]; mean [SD] age, 13.4 [2.5] years) were randomized; 151 (99%) completed the trial. At the 6-month follow-up, 50 of 74 participants (68%) in the stepped-care group and 52 of 77 participants (68%) in the in-person cognitive behavioral therapy group were classified as treatment responders (odds ratio, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.51-1.98]; P = .99). Health economic analyses showed that the stepped-care group used fewer therapist resources than the in-person cognitive behavioral therapy group, resulting in a mean cost savings of $2104 (95% CI, $1202-$3006) per participant for the full study period of 10 months, corresponding to a relative savings of 39%. The cost savings remained largely comparable when taking wider health care sector and societal perspectives. Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that, for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a low-cost digital intervention followed by in-person treatment for nonresponders was cost-effective compared with in-person cognitive behavior therapy alone.

Effect of an Internet-Delivered Stepped-Care Program vs In-Person Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: In most countries, young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder have limited access to specialist cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-line treatment. Objective: To investigate whether internet-delivered CBT implemented in a stepped-care model is noninferior to in-person CBT for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Design, Setting and Participants: A randomized clinical noninferiority trial conducted at 2 specialist child and adolescent mental health clinics in Sweden. Participants included 152 individuals aged 8 to 17 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Enrollment began in October 2017 and ended in May 2019. Follow-up ended in April 2020. Interventions: Participants randomized to the stepped-care group (n = 74) received internet-delivered CBT for 16 weeks. Nonresponders at the 3-month follow-up were then offered a course of traditional face-to-face treatment. Participants randomized to the control group (n = 78) immediately received in-person CBT for 16 weeks. Nonresponders at the 3-month follow-up received additional face-to-face treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the masked assessor-rated Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) score at the 6-month follow-up. The scale includes 10 items rated from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (extreme symptoms), yielding a total score range of 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater severity. Assessors were masked to treatment allocation at pretreatment, posttreatment, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up assessments. The predefined noninferiority margin was 4 points on the CY-BOCS. Results: Among the 152 randomized participants (mean age, 13.4 years; 94 [62%] females), 151 (99%) completed the trial. At the 3-month follow-up, 34 participants (46%) in the stepped-care group and 23 (30%) in the in-person CBT group were nonresponders. At the 6-month follow-up, the CY-BOCS score was 11.57 points in the stepped-care group vs 10.57 points in the face-to-face treatment group, corresponding to an estimated mean difference of 0.91 points ([1-sided 97.5% CI, -∞ to 3.28]; P for noninferiority = .02). Increased anxiety (30%-36%) and depressive symptoms (20%-28%) were the most frequently reported adverse events in both groups. There were 2 unrelated serious adverse events (1 in each group). Conclusions and Relevance: Among children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, treatment with an internet-delivered CBT program followed by in-person CBT if necessary compared with in-person CBT alone resulted in a noninferior difference in symptoms at the 6-month follow-up. Further research is needed to understand the durability and generalizability of these findings. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03263546.

Implementation of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: Lessons from clinics in Sweden, United Kingdom and Australia.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be successfully treated with cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). However, as few patients have access to CBT, there is a strong push to develop and evaluate scalable and cost-effective internet-delivered interventions. BIP OCD is a therapist-guided online CBT intervention for pediatric OCD that has shown promise in trials conducted at a single site in Stockholm, Sweden. In this study, we evaluated if BIP OCD is an acceptable, feasible, and effective treatment in other countries and clinical contexts. Thirty-one patients were recruited at three different sites; a specialist OCD clinic in Gothenburg (Sweden), a specialist OCD clinic in London (United Kingdom), and a university-based clinic in Brisbane (Australia). Acceptability and feasibility measures included treatment adherence and feedback from therapists. Clinician assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. The average module completion for the participants was 8.1/12 (SD = 3.2) and the majority of patients completed the BIP OCD treatment (100% in Gothenburg, and 55.6% in both London and Brisbane). Pooling data from the three sites, the within-group effect sizes from baseline to post-treatment on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale were in the expected range (bootstrapped Cohen's d = 1.78; 95% CI 1.18-2.39), with an additional symptom reduction to the 3-month follow-up (bootstrapped Cohen's d = 0.27; 95% CI 0.02-0.51). Participating therapists identified both advantages and difficulties supporting patients in this digital format. The results of this study suggest that the treatment effects obtained in the original BIP OCD trials can be generalized to other clinical contexts nationally and internationally. Lessons learned provide important information for successful implementation of BIP OCD in regular healthcare contexts.

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.

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.

The Internet Intervention Patient Adherence Scale for Guided Internet-Delivered Behavioral Interventions: Development and Psychometric Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Patient adherence is defined as the extent to which a patient complies with medical or health advice. At present, there is a lack of reliable and valid measures specifically designed to measure adherence to internet-delivered behavioral interventions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a novel measure of adherence to guided internet-delivered behavioral interventions. METHODS: In collaboration with experienced clinicians and researchers in the field, a 5-item, clinician-rated internet intervention Patient Adherence Scale (iiPAS) was developed. The initial scale was tested in a sample of children and adolescents (N=50) participating in internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) studies. A revised version of the iiPAS was then administered to a larger sample of children and adolescents (N=148) with various behavioral problems participating in ICBT trials. The scale was evaluated according to a classical test theory framework. RESULTS: The iiPAS demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Factor analyses revealed one underlying factor, explaining about 80% of the variance, suggesting that the scale captures a homogeneous adherence construct. The iiPAS was strongly associated with objective measures of patient activity in ICBT (number of logins, number of written characters, and completed modules). Furthermore, mid- and posttreatment ratings of the iiPAS were significantly correlated with treatment outcomes. By contrast, objective measures of patient activity in the Web-based platform did not correlate with treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The iiPAS could be a useful tool to measure adherence in a broad range of internet-delivered behavioral interventions.

Is it time to rethink standard dosage of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder?

OBJECTIVE: Identifying factors associated with early treatment response is important, because it can help allocate limited resources in psychiatric care more appropriately. This study examined baseline characteristics of participants with early response to exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: 269 participants with OCD, aged 7-17 years, were enrolled in a 14-weeks CBT program. We identified participants with early response to treatment, (CY-BOCS total score of ≤15), by the seventh session. RESULTS: At week 7, 248 (92.2%) participants were assessed, 38.3% (95% CI 32.4-44.5%, n = 95) were identified as treatment responders. Univariate analyses showed that six baseline characteristics were significantly associated with early treatment response: young age, lower levels of symptom severity, functional impairment, internalizing- and externalizing problems, depressive symptoms, and family accommodation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that treatment plans for younger children with moderate OCD symptoms and no major comorbid disorder should include briefer and less resource demanding treatment formats than the commonly recommended and applied standard doses of 15 CBT sessions.

Stepped Care Internet-Delivered vs Face-to-Face Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Trial Protocol for a Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

Importance: Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy is an effective treatment for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and has the potential to markedly increase access to treatment for patients while being cost-effective for health care organizations. Objective: To investigate whether internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy implemented within a stepped care model is noninferior to, and cost-effective compared with, the gold standard of face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter, single-blind, randomized clinical noninferiority trial implemented at 2 specialist pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder clinics in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden. Participants are 152 children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years with obsessive compulsive disorder, recruited through the 2 clinics and online self-referral. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to the stepped care intervention or face-to-face therapy. Blind evaluations will be conducted after treatment and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. At the 6-month follow-up (primary end point), noninferiority will be tested and resource use will be compared between the 2 treatment groups. Data will be analyzed according to intention-to-treat principles. Intervention: Patients randomized to stepped care will first receive internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for 16 weeks; patients who are classified as nonresponders 3 months after treatment completion will receive additional face-to-face therapy. The control group will receive 16 weeks of face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy immediately following randomization and nonresponders at the 3-month follow-up will, as in the stepped care group, receive additional face-to-face therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Noninferiority is defined as a 4-point difference on the primary outcome measure (Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale). Discussion: Recruitment started October 6, 2017, and was completed May 24, 2019. Results from the primary end point will be available by May 2020. The naturalistic follow-ups (1, 2, and 5 years after the end of treatment) will continue to 2025. There are no interim analyses planned or stopping rules for the trial. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03263546.