Approaches to the patient with treatment-refractory obsessive compulsive disorder

Modern therapies have dramatically improved the treatment outcome for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but many clinicians are not aware of what is presently available in terms of effective treatments. Clinicians now know that if patients receive appropriate treatment, usually consisting of behavior therapy and/or psychotropic medication, the majority will improve substantially, and occasionally completely, within a few months. This article reviews some of the treatment options for managing refractory patients with OCD.