The aim of this pilot study was to develop and evaluate an internet-based therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorders for children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years. In cooperation with the Department of Information Technology at the University Hospital of Tübingen, the prototype of an integrative mobile health platform was developed. In the course of treatment, the patients received weekly therapy sessions consisting of elements of cognitive-behavioural therapy with the emphasis on confrontation exercises (so-called “expositions”) in order to be able to face the compulsive symptoms in a targeted manner.
Through the internet-based approach, the treatments could be carried out directly in the patients' home environment, where most of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms usually occur. In addition to diagnostic appointments, the therapy concept included 14 therapy sessions, 13 of which were carried out via video-telephony, and a smartphone app to accompany the therapy. The digital therapy approach achieved a high level of acceptance among the adolescents and also enabled families who did not have access to suitable therapists close to their homes to participate. The study was conducted from February 2016 to summer 2018. Subsequently, the follow-up study iCBT-OCD was planned and implemented.
