A family based cognitive behavioral therapy was found quite effective in improving condition of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A new study has found that family based CBT has brought improvements in around three quarters of the young children as young as five years old.

CBT alone or in combination with anti-anxiety medicine is quite effective in treating OCD among older children and teenagers. However, it was not confirmed which of the two therapies would work better for younger children with OCD.

To know the same, researchers from three academic medical centers in the U. S. carried out a study in which 127 children were randomly divided into two groups. One group received CBT alone and second group received CBT along with anti-anxiety medicine.

The group taking CBT received a version of the family based CBT in which emphasis was on understanding, managing and reducing OCD symptoms. Measures adopted to attain these objectives were lessons and exercising and educating the families about the condition.

In this therapy, increased involvement of parents is needed. The other group received a family based relaxation therapy in which relaxation techniques were taught and not specifically addressed OCD or its symptoms.

For 14 weeks, researchers administered the trial and found 72% of the children in the CBT were either 'very much' or 'much' improved and severity of the symptoms also greatly reduced. In the relaxation group, 41% of kids showed improvement.

Lead researcher Jennifer Freeman said, "I really think that the results highlight this family-based cognitive behavior therapy model as the first-line treatment for children with OCD".

People with OCD have certain compulsions like feeling compelled to do something that disrupts their lives. As per the U. S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the condition runs in the families. Also, around 2.2 million US adults are affected by OCD and around 33% of them are children.