New Findings Suggest Talk Therapy in Addition to Antidepressants For Kids With OCD

Very often, children and teens with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are treated with antidepressants like Zoloft and Paxil. According to a recent Reuters article, kids taking antidepressants will still exhibit symptoms of the disorder.

According to John Piacentini, the head of the Child OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders Program at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, “Most kids on medication still have symptoms. If you try medications and you don’t get the benefits you would like, if you can find quality (cognitive behavioral therapy) it should make a big difference.”

Study Shows That 1 Child in 100 Has OCD

A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia determined that 1 child in every 100 has OCD. They tend to exhibit the same forms of compulsive behavior adults are prone to including excessive hand washing and other activities indicative of the disorder. Study author Martin Franklin notes that many kids who don’t show improvement on one drug are often given another, but since side effects of drugs like Zoloft are of such great concern, he suggests cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) could help kids with OCD. CBT helps patients recognize and change the thought processes behind their problematic behavior.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,  looked at three groups of children: one that didn’t get any extra treatment; a second that had one hour-long CBT session once per week in addition to medication; a third that only spoke briefly about CBT with doctors during routine medical check-ins. After three months, the kids who attended CBT sessions were deemed better off than the others. Approximately 70 percent saw improvement of OCD symptoms, while 35 percent did not.

Jonathan Abramowitz, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told Reuters Health, “[A]ll things being equal, CBT is the best choice for OCD treatment. CBT is a relatively short-term treatment and you learn skills that no one can ever take away from you.”

The problem with CBT is that it is difficult to find qualified professionals, and treatment might not be covered by health insurance. Talk therapy can run hundreds of dollars per session. Antidepressants, however, are covered by most insurance plans, with generic versions costing only ten dollars a month or less.

Consult With Your Child’s Doctor

If your child is showing signs of OCD behavior, consult with his or her physician to determine the best course of treatment. Antidepressants like Zoloft may not be the best course of treatment given the side effects they may cause in children and adolescents.

Protect Your Rights As a Consumer

The lawyers at the Rottenstein Law Group have experience advocating for clients in consumer product injury cases. If you seek compensation in a Zoloft lawsuit, we can help. Fill out our contact form and one of our Zoloft lawyers will be in touch.