Psychoeducational treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A narrative review emphasizing family-based...

Psychoeducation is a structured but straightforward and effective treatment, which consists of educating patients and family members about psychiatric disorders, teaching them to cope with the illness, and supporting them during treatment. Psychoeducation as an independent treatment is effective in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Psychoeducation is a core component of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) or exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment, which are the standard psychotherapeutic treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, research on the benefits of psychoeducational treatments in OCD is limited compared to schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Very few studies have examined psychoeducation as an independent treatment for OCD, and its efficacy is not proven. The effectiveness of CBT or ERP for OCD is well established, but the contribution of psychoeducation to the efficacy of these treatments is unclear. Recently, there has been a greater understanding of maladaptive family responses, such as accommodation and antagonism, that worsen the outcome and treatment response in OCD. Family-based psychoeducational treatments targeting inappropriate family responses are effective in reducing obsessional symptoms, attenuating the negative family impact of OCD, and improving patient and family functioning. Family-based psychoeducation is a promising treatment for OCD, but there are methodological issues with the evidence, and trials among adult patients are limited compared to children and adolescents. The other obstacles to the implementation of psychoeducational treatments of OCD are the large treatment gap, lack of research from low- and middle-income countries, and the limited attempts to develop culturally adapted treatments in these countries. Thus, further research should focus on optimising psychoeducational treatments for OCD and efficiently delivering these treatments in routine clinical settings.