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Obsessive-compulsive disorder: a treatment review.
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|February 1, 1988
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatments include behavior therapy, with exposure and response prevention being effective for most. For non-responders, clomipramine medication or psychosurgery are options.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) significantly impacts personal, social, and professional life.
- Effective treatments for OCD have emerged primarily in the last two decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy of current treatment modalities for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- To outline a treatment hierarchy for OCD based on patient response.
Main Methods:
- Review of specific behavioral therapies, including exposure in vivo and response prevention.
- Analysis of medication efficacy, focusing on clomipramine.
- Consideration of psychosurgery (stereotactic limbic leucotomy) as a last resort.
Main Results:
- Behavioral therapies (exposure and response prevention) achieve success in 70%-80% of compliant patients.
- Clomipramine is the most consistently effective medication in controlled studies.
- Psychosurgery is a viable option for the minority of patients refractory to other treatments.
Conclusions:
- A stepwise approach to OCD treatment, starting with behavioral therapy, is recommended.
- Medication and psychosurgery offer alternatives for treatment-resistant cases.
- Comprehensive treatment strategies are crucial for managing debilitating OCD symptoms.