New AACAP practice parameter for OCD.(Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

A new practice parameter issued by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) provides new guidance on assessing and treating children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The new parameter, developed by Daniel A. Geller, M.B.B.S., John March, M.D., and the AACAP Committee on Quality Issues (CQI), reflects the latest research and empirical evidence on OCD, superseding the OCD practice parameter of 1998, (1) and offers clinicians recommendations for assessment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy, combination treatment, as well as other interventions.

Oscar G. Bukstein, M.D., a member of the AACAP CQI, told The Update: "The recently published AACAP practice parameter on OCD represents an important step in assisting mental health professionals to follow optimal steps for the assessment and treatment of OCD in children and adolescents.

The practice parameter for OCD is a revision of the practice parameter published by the AACAP more than a decade ago. As with more recently published parameters, this revision is improved by its systematic review and emphasis on evidenced-based practice. In its recommendations, the clinician will find evidence-based interventions across both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic modalities, including their combination. While developed and published by the AACAP, the development process enlisted a …