half day workshop
BEYOND EXPOSURE WITH RESPONSE PREVENTION FOR CHILDHOOD OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: BEHAVIORAL SKILLS TRAINING TO ENHANCE OUTCOME
Dean McKay, Fordham University, USA and Scott Greisberg, Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, USA
CCIB Room: 219/220
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition. Recent research has suggested that there are multiple subtypes of the disorder (McKay et al., 2004), further complicating the clinical picture of the condition. There is evidence that many cases start in childhood but are not identified for some time. Empirically supported psychological treatment for the disorder is primarily based on cognitive-behavior therapy. Exposure with response prevention (ERP) has been considered the primary component of treatment that leads to improvement in both adults and children. However, it is important to note that OCD in children occurs within the context of the child’s development. The lag between symptom onset and treatment of these children and their symptoms may lead to the development of a variety of maladaptive behaviors, including social behaviors, schoolwork practices, eating habits, relationships with family members, and even beliefs about themselves. Information about these additional problems can often be provided by teachers and caregivers but these differences are likely noticed by peers as well. This can place a limit on the quality of life and happiness that the child can experience and may be frustrating for the child, especially if they have worked hard to rid themselves of their obsessive-compulsive symptoms but their daily activities are still sufficiently abnormal to result in social neglect or rejection. Therefore, the parent’s behaviors may need to be incorporated into the treatment as a potential target for intervention. To be fully effective, psychologists need to consult with parents and schools in order to provide education and specific training in how to respond to the child in a way that is likely to be therapeutic. By attending to these areas of dysfunction, CBT can become more effective with respect to increasing level of functioning. This workshop, therefore, is intended to cover these additional important areas of treatment as it applies to children with OCD.
Dr. Dean McKay is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Fordham University. He has published over 60 journal articles and book chapters, and over 100 conference presentations. Dr. McKay has been a member of the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group since 1995. He is Board Certified in Behavioral and Clinical Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Dr. McKay is currently completing a book on the theoretical bases of empirically supported cognitive-behavior therapy interventions, is co-editor of two forthcoming books on Obsessive-Compulsive Subtypes, and co-editor of a forthcoming book on the role of disgust in psychopathology. Scott Greisberg, Ph.D. completed his doctoral dissertation on the neuropsychology of childhood OCD, and has focused in particular on this condition in young children (below age 12). He has several publications and conference presentations.
Key References:
McKay, D., Piacentini, J., Greisberg, S., Graae, F., Jaffer, M., & Miller, J. (2006). The structure of childhood obsessions and compulsions: Dimensions in an outpatient sample. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 137-146.
McKay, D., Abramowitz, J., Calamari, J., Kyrios, M., Radomsky, A., Sookman, D., Taylor, S., & Wilhelm, S. (2004). A Critical Evaluation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Subtypes: Symptoms versus Mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 283-313.
Greisberg, S. & McKay, D. (2003). Neuropsychology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Review and Treatment Implications. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 95-117.