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Review
. 2024 May;65(5):594-609.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13934. Epub 2024 Jan 3.

Efficacy and acceptability of cognitive-behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitors for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a network meta-analysis

Matti Cervin  1 , Joseph F McGuire  2 , Johann M D'Souza  3 , Alessandro S De Nadai  4 , Kristina Aspvall  5 , Wayne K Goodman  6 , Per Andrén  1   5 , Sophie C Schneider  6 , Daniel A Geller  7 , David Mataix-Cols  1   5 , Eric A Storch  6
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy and acceptability of cognitive-behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitors for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a network meta-analysis

Matti Cervin et al. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2024 May.

Abstract

Background: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are recommended treatments for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but their relative efficacy and acceptability have not been comprehensively examined. Further, it remains unclear whether the efficacy of in-person CBT is conserved when delivered in other formats, such as over telephone/webcam or as Internet-delivered CBT (ICBT).

Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO, trial registries, and previous systematic reviews were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CBT (in-person, webcam/telephone-delivered, or ICBT) or SRIs with control conditions or each other. Network meta-analyses were conducted to examine efficacy (post-treatment Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) and acceptability (treatment discontinuation). Confidence in effect estimates was evaluated with CINeMA (Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis).

Results: Thirty eligible RCTs and 35 contrasts comprising 2,057 youth with OCD were identified. In-person CBT was significantly more efficacious than ICBT, waitlist, relaxation training, and pill placebo (MD range: 3.95-11.10; CINeMA estimate of confidence: moderate) but did not differ significantly from CBT delivered via webcam/telephone (MD: 0.85 [-2.51, 4.21]; moderate), SRIs (MD: 3.07 [-0.07, 6.20]; low), or the combination of in-person CBT and SRIs (MD: -1.20 [-5.29, 2.91]; low). SRIs were significantly more efficacious than pill placebo (MD: 4.59 [2.70, 6.48]; low) and waitlist (MD: 8.03 [4.24, 11.82]; moderate). No significant differences for acceptability emerged, but confidence in estimates was low.

Conclusions: In-person CBT and SRIs produce clear benefits compared to waitlist and pill placebo and should be integral parts of the clinical management of pediatric OCD, with in-person CBT overall having a stronger evidence base. The combination of in-person CBT and SRIs may be most efficacious, but few studies hinder firm conclusions. The efficacy of CBT appears conserved when delivered via webcam/telephone, while more trials evaluating ICBT are needed.

Keywords: CBT; OCD; adolescents; children; efficacy; medication; meta‐analysis; pharmacotherapy.

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References

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