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O’Leary EM, Barrett P, Fjermestad KW.

Pathways Health and Research Centre, PO Box 5699, West End, Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia; The University of Queensland, Social Sciences Building (24), Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; The Bergen Group for Treatment Research, University of Bergen, Faculty of Psychology, Christies Gate 12, 5015 Bergen, Norway

This study evaluated the long-term durability of individual and group cognitive-behavioral family-based therapy (CBFT) for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Thirty-eight participants (age 13-24 years) from a randomized controlled trial of individual or group CBFT for childhood OCD were assessed 7 years post-treatment. Diagnostic, symptom severity interviews and self-report measures of OCD, anxiety, and depression were administered.

Seven years after treatment, 79% of participants from individual therapy and 95% from group therapy had no diagnosis of OCD. These results are near identical to results found at 12 and 18 months follow-ups of the same sample. No significant differences were found between treatment conditions, self-reports of symptom severity, except that depressive symptoms were significantly more pronounced for individual treatment condition, and those in the older age group (19-24 years of age).

Results suggest that CBFT for obsessive-compulsive disorder is effective 7 years post-treatment.