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Treating refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: what to do when conventional treatment fails?
Adelar Pedro Franz1, Mariana Paim1, Rafael Moreno de Araújo1
1Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
|April 30, 2015
Summary
For treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), alternative therapies may offer new hope. Reviewing patient-specific factors and exploring non-conventional treatments can improve outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition.
- A small fraction of patients achieve full remission with standard treatments.
- Refractory OCD presents significant challenges in clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review alternative therapeutic strategies for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- To identify options for patients with treatment-resistant OCD.
- To synthesize evidence on non-conventional approaches for OCD.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of controlled clinical studies.
- Data sourced from MEDLINE and Science Citation Index/Web of Science databases.
- Literature search conducted from 1975 to 2012.
Main Results:
- Intrinsic phenomenological aspects of OCD may necessitate treatment modifications.
- Extrinsic factors, such as family accommodation, can impact treatment response.
- Non-conventional pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and neurobiological approaches show potential.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians should consider a comprehensive review of OCD phenomenology in refractory cases.
- Addressing family accommodation is crucial for improving outcomes in OCD.
- Exploring alternative and non-conventional therapies is recommended for treatment-resistant OCD.
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