The investigators noted that they did not find a high rate of treatment refusal or drop-out (8.1% to 14.8% and 8.3% to 10.7%, respectively) with behavioral therapy, which has been one of its suggested disadvantages.
Health professionals need to consider this therapy, Dr. O'Kearney said, particularly in view of the controversy about prescribing psychotropic medications to children and adolescents.
However, the decision to try behavioral therapy may be influenced by other factors, such as patient preference, the availability of skilled practitioners, cost, and the patient's treatment history, he added.
The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in childhood is estimated as 0.5% to 4%.
