Previous research has provided evidence on the
effectiveness of CBT in the symptomatic improvement of
children with obsessive–compulsive disorders. There is
also increasing recognition of the importance of involving
parents and families in treatment. The aim of this study was
to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of such an intervention
that promoted family strengths [(quality of life
therapy (QoLT)] for mothers of children with obsessive–
compulsive disorders (OCD). The sample consisted of 40
children with OCD and their mothers, who had been
referred to clinics in Esfahan city in Iran. Mothers were
randomly allocated to an experimental (QoLT) and waiting
list control group. Mothers participated in eight QoLT
group sessions over 4 weeks. QoLT incorporated CBT
techniques in managing OCD symptoms. Measures were
completed pre- and post-intervention by both groups.
Children completed the Yale–Brown obsession compulsion
scale for Children, the Revised children’s manifest anxiety
scale, and the brief multidimensional student’s life satisfaction
scale; mothers completed the quality of life
inventory (QoLI). QoLT was associated with decrease in
OCD and anxiety symptoms and increase in children’s
satisfaction in the global, family and environment domains,
as well as with increased QoLI scores in their mothers.
Parenting interventions like QoLT can complement individual
modalities such as CBT in the presence of familyrelated
difficulties. This can be particularly applicable in
countries and settings with limited resources and high
stigma of child mental health problems.