Sustained Treatment Gains in Intensive Virtual and In-Person CBT for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders and OCD

This study examined the efficacy and sustainability of treatment gains achieved through an intensive group-and family-based outpatient CBT program for youth (N = 63, ages 8–19) with anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that provided interventions through a hybrid of in-person and primarily telehealth formats.

Results indicated significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms and improved functional impairment not only between admission and discharge, but also that these reductions were maintained at the three-month follow-up assessment. Findings suggest that intensive outpatient group- and family-based CBT that integrates telehealth can lead to lasting improvements in pediatric anxiety and OCD symptoms beyond discharge.

Intensive group- and family-based outpatient CBT treatment that included telehealth sessions demonstrated improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms as well as functional improvement, and these gains were maintained three months later. This treatment format may be a way to increase access to evidence-based care, as the virtual format component may reduce travel burdens, and a briefer duration of intensive treatment may create available openings for families in need sooner.