Therapy may let kids with OCD ditch meds for good
NCT ID NCT05609916
First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) safely stop their medication without symptoms returning. Participants first receive CBT for 12 to 18 weeks, then continue with maintenance sessions while gradually discontinuing their medication under medical supervision. The goal is to see if they can remain symptom-free over 24 weeks without relapse.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a path for children with OCD to safely discontinue medication while maintaining gains, reducing long-term drug exposure.
- What could go wrong
- The study is not yet conclusive, and results may vary. Some children might still relapse after stopping medication, and CBT requires significant time and effort.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Nov 2022
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
7 to 17 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * The child is between the ages of 7 to 17 at enrollment with a primary diagnosis of OCD of \> 6 months duration based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Lifetime Version for DSM-5 (KSADS-PL) and have a CY-BOCS ≥ 16. * The child is on stable and maximally tolerated SRI medication (i.e., clomipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram) for ≥12 weeks given that they are persistently and moderately symptomatic. Paroxetine is exclusionary due to safety concerns. * Both the child and parent participating in the study are English speaking. * Both the child and their parent participating in the study reside in Texas. Exclusion Criteria: * The child has a diagnosis of lifetime DSM-5 bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, and/or intellectual disability. * The child has severe current suicidal/homicidal ideation and/or self-injury requiring medical intervention. * The child is receiving concurrent psychotherapy for OCD. * Initiation of a psychotropic medication less than 4 weeks prior to study enrollment or a stimulant/psychoactive medication less than 2 weeks prior to study enrollment.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cognitive behavioral therapy are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Baylor College of Medicine
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Brain scans and biosamples: mapping why OCD looks so different in every person
- Can a gentle electrical current quiet Obsessive-Compulsive symptoms?
- Can magnetic pulses ease OCD in teens who Haven't improved?
- Can a focused electric field quiet the Brain's obsessive signals?
- Can tailored brain stimulation quiet anxiety that drugs Can't?