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Family Based Treatment of Childhood OCD (POTS JR)

Is your child bothered by thoughts, ideas, or pictures that keep coming to mind, even though they do not want them to? The thoughts can be unpleasant, silly, or embarrassing. These are thoughts that keep coming back, over and over again.

Does your child have any habits that they have to do over and over again, or a certain way or frequency and does your child feel very uncomfortable if s/he is unable to do so?

The goal of this study is to test a family-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) treatment program for young children with OCD. Participants receive family-based CBT targeting children's OCD symptoms or family-based Relaxation Training aimed at general anxiety reduction and stress management. Children aged 5 through 8 who have symptoms of OCD may be eligible to participate in this study.

The POTS JR program involves 14 weeks of treatment, followed by check-ins at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment has finished. The child and their family participate in a detailed clinical interview to determine the need for anxiety treatment, and a thorough discussion of the treatment provided through the research program. Participants have weekly family meetings with a doctor who specializes in childhood anxiety disorders.

This is a research program sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. Treatment is provided at no cost to you.

Please call: 215-746-3327 for more information on this study.