Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and impairing psychiatric disorder that often begins in childhood or adolescence. Early identification and treatment of OCD is important to prevent a cascade of developmental disruptions lasting into adulthood. The 2012 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Practice Parameter recommends cognitive behavioral therapy that incorporates exposure and response prevention (ERP) as a first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate OCD in youth and recommends combined treatment with ERP (if feasible) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for some patients, particularly those with more severe symptoms. Clinical uncertainty exists regarding the optimal treatment strategies (and treatment combinations) that work best for specific populations and settings. In this report, we seek to evaluate the accuracy of brief assessment tools to identify OCD in symptomatic youth (Key Question [KQ] 1) and the effects and harms of treatment options for youth with OCD (KQ2).
