Pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder: experience with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Since the introduction of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) a decade ago, they have become first-line agents in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Numerous clinical trials have confirmed their efficacy, and established their superior risk-benefit ratio in comparison with clomipramine, a non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Relatively higher doses and longer duration of treatment may be necessary to effect a response in OCD, with long-term treatment being required to maintain therapeutic gains. Despite the advances represented by the SSRIs, treatment resistance remains a problem. While no one solution exists, various strategies, including pharmacotherapy augmentation, look promising.