According to a study published in the 'Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology,' youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) showed early and sustained betterment over 12 weeks when treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and SSRI + cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The researchers sought to assess the additional advantages of SSRIs and CBT combination in young individuals suffering from OCD. A Bayesian hierarchical modeling meta-analysis was conducted utilizing weekly data from prospective randomized parallel group trials involving CBT and SSRIs in OCD-affected pediatrics.

The response was assessed by modeling the alteration in the Child Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) over a period of 12 weeks. The analysis encompassed fourteen studies with pharmacotherapy arms, four studies with combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, and ten studies with a placebo or control arm. These studies involved a total of 1146 patients, with a mean age of 12.7 ± 1.3 years and 42.1% being female.

Profound differences in treatment effects in the logarithmic model of response were noted for CBT+SSRI and SSRI monotherapy when compared to placebo (SSRI β = −3.59; SSRI+CBT β = −4.07). Although not statistically significant, the addition of CBT to an SSRI showed numerically higher betterment over 12 weeks. Studies with more male participants, younger patients, and higher baseline symptom severity demonstrated greater improvement.

In adolescents and children suffering from OCD, both SSRIs and a combination of SSRIs and CBT showed significant and consistent betterment over a 12-week period. However, it's important to note that the extent of improvement was influenced by the specific characteristics of the study participants. To fully understand when the additional benefits of CBT become apparent compared to using SSRIs alone, further investigations involving longer-term studies are required.