Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder: development and initial evaluation of the BIP OCD Junior programme

Background: Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) is a promising approach for increasing access to evidence-based treatments.

Aims: To develop and evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an ICBT programme for young children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), named BIP OCD Junior.

Method: Eleven children aged 7-11 years were enrolled in a 12-week open trial of parent- and therapist-guided ICBT for OCD. The primary outcome measure was the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS).

Results: There was a significant improvement in OCD symptoms post-treatment, with a large within-group effect size on the CY-BOCS (Cohen's d = 1.86, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.86). Results were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Both children and parents rated the treatment as credible and were highly satisfied with the intervention.

Conclusions: BIP OCD Junior is a feasible and credible treatment option for young children with OCD. Randomised controlled trials are needed to further establish its efficacy and cost-effectiveness relative to gold standard face-to-face CBT.

Declaration of interest: None.