Meta-analysis of randomized, controlled treatment trials for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a meta-analysis on randomized, controlled treatment trials of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).


METHODS
Studies were included if they employed randomized, controlled methodology and treated young people (19 years or under) with OCD. A comprehensive literature search identified 13 RCTs containing 10 pharmacotherapy to control comparisons (N = 1016) and five cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to control comparisons (N = 161).


RESULTS
Random effects modeling yielded statistically significant pooled effect size (ES) estimates for pharmacotherapy (ES = .48, 95% CI = .36 to .61, p < .00001) and CBT (ES = 1.45, 95% CI = .68 to 2.22, p = .002). The results were robust to publication bias.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first meta-analysis of treatment RCTs for pediatric OCD. CBT and pharmacotherapy were the only treatments effective beyond control in alleviating OCD symptoms. CBT showed a greater ES than pharmacotherapy. Previous meta-analyses that included uncontrolled trials exaggerated the efficacy of both treatments.
Watson
Hunna J
HJ
Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. h.watson@curtin.edu.au
Rees
Clare S
CS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic