New Model at McLean Hospital Offers Hope for Children Battling OCD
BOSTON, MA – A novel treatment approach developed by clinicians at McLean Hospital is offering renewed optimism for children and adolescents struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The program focuses on equipping young patients with the language and strategies to understand their intrusive thoughts as ”false alarms” and resist engaging in compulsive rituals.
OCD affects an estimated 1-2% of children and adolescents, significantly impacting their daily lives, academic performance, and social interactions. Conventional exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, while effective, can be challenging for younger patients to grasp. This new model, detailed in a recent Boston Globe report, aims to bridge that gap by framing OCD symptoms in a way that resonates with children, empowering them to actively “retrain” their brains.
The approach centers on normalizing intrusive thoughts – experiences everyone has – while helping children recognize when those thoughts become “stuck” and demand a response. Teens are encouraged to articulate their experience, such as, ”I have OCD, so my brain sends false alarms. I feel like I have to do things a certain way to calm down. I’m practicing not doing the rituals so I can retrain my brain.” For younger children, clinicians use age-appropriate metaphors to explain the disconnect between thoughts and reality.
the program also provides tools for navigating conversations with peers and family members who may not fully understand OCD. A suggested script for young people is: “Everyone gets random thoughts. Mine sometimes get stuck and feel important even when they aren’t. I’m learning to face them without rituals so I can get my freedom back.”
Kara Baskin, who reported on the program for the Boston Globe, can be reached at kara.baskin@globe.com or on Twitter @kcbaskin. Clinicians emphasize that while OCD is a part of a patient’s experience, it does not define them, and recovery – regaining ”freedom” from the disorder – is achievable.
