Table 5.

Efficacy and effectiveness of pharmacological, psychosocial and brain stimulation interventions vs. treatment as usual (TAU) or low intensity psychosocial intervention (LIP) in children/adolescents (only significant differences are reported)

Outcome	Intervention	Effect size (95% CI)	Control	Number of RCTs/patients	Q
Anxiety disorders
Efficacy (mixed‐ rated)	CBT‐Group	SMD=–0.84 (–1.47 to –0.21)	TAU	101/6,625	L
Functioning	CBT	SMD=–1.06 (–1.57 to –0.55)	TAU/LIP/PBO/Sham	5/467	L
Remission	CBT‐Individual+P	OR=8.56 (3.10‐23.66)	TAU	5/172	L
Autism spectrum disorder
Efficacy: overall (mixed‐rated)	PCIT	SMD=–0.22 (–0.41 to –0.03)	TAU/LIP	6/420	L
Efficacy: reciprocity (clinician‐rated)	Mixed psychosocial interventions	SMD=–0.53 (–0.78 to –0.29)	TAU	8/380	L
Cognition: developmental quotient	Mixed psychosocial interventions	SMD=–0.36 (–0.66 to –0.05)	TAU	5/232	L
Cognition	PCIT	SMD=–0.24 (–0.46 to –0.03)	TAU/LIP	6/334	L
Anxiety disorder remission	CBT	OR=11.25 (3.11‐40.79)	TAU	4/142	L
Depressive disorders
Efficacy (clinician ‐rated)	IPT	SMD=–0.66 (–1.22 to –0.09)	TAU	70/8,906	L
Encopresis
Efficacy: soiling	BT+TAU	SMD=–0.35 (–0.63 to –0.07)	TAU	4/209	L
Response	BT+TAU	RR=1.78 (1.25‐2.55)	TAU	4/216	L
Obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Response	BT‐ERP	RR=1.71 (1.29‐2.25)	TAU/LIP	4/271	L
Acceptability	BT‐ERP	RR=0.60 (0.39‐0.93)	TAU/LIP	4/251	L

RCTs – randomized controlled trials, SMD – standardized mean difference, OR – odds ratio, RR – risk ratio, PBO – placebo, Q – quality (H – high, M – medium, L – low), BT – behavioral therapy, BT‐ERP – behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention, CBT – cognitive behavioral therapy, IPT – interpersonal therapy, PCIT – parent‐child ­interaction therapy, P – parental involvement. SMDs<0 indicate that intervention is more effective than control. For discontinuation outcomes (acceptability, ­tolerability, inefficacy) and relapse, OR/RR<1 favors the intervention. For response and remission, OR/RR>1 favors the intervention.