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 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.