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Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders pp 131–147Cite as

Treatment of Scrupulosity in Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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Abstract

Although symptoms of scrupulosity are recognized as particularly difficult to treat, they have received surprisingly limited attention in the pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) literature. In this chapter, we discuss the theoretical and empirical rationale for using exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to treat scrupulosity in children and adolescents, and we detail particular issues that may complicate its use. An illustrative case study describes the use of this approach to treat an 11-year-old girl whose primary symptoms of OCD involved scrupulosity. We describe the systematic assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment course for this youngster and provide recommendations for clinicians working with this subset of youth.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (Peris) and NIMH K23 MH085058 and R03 MH099199 (Peris).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Tara S. Peris PhD & Michelle Rozenman PhD

  2. 760 Westwood Plaza, Rm. 67-439, 90095, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Tara S. Peris PhD

Authors
  1. Tara S. Peris PhD
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  2. Michelle Rozenman PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tara S. Peris PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Health Policy & Management, Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, and Psychology, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  2. Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Adam B. Lewin

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Peris, T., Rozenman, M. (2016). Treatment of Scrupulosity in Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In: Storch, E., Lewin, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17139-5_10

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