[The Treatment of Long-Standing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in an Intensive Specialized Program: A Case Study]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard psychotherapy for OCD.
• Many individuals with OCD face barriers to accessing specialized ERP treatment, leading to prolonged suffering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the effectiveness of an intensive ERP program for a patient with a long history of OCD.
• To assess symptom severity, functional impairment, and treatment outcomes.
• To underscore the importance of specialized care access for chronic OCD cases.

Main Methods:

• A case report detailing a 66-year-old woman with over 40 years of OCD history.
• Intensive, specialized ERP intervention delivered over two weeks in a university hospital.
• Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 2-month follow-up assessments of OCD symptoms and functioning.

Main Results:

• Substantial reduction in OCD symptom severity post-intervention.
• Marked improvements in daily functioning and significant decrease in ritualistic behaviors.
• Sustained clinical gains and treatment confidence at 2-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Intensive ERP is effective for individuals with longstanding OCD.
• Chronicity in OCD may reflect limited access to specialized care, not inherent treatment resistance.
• Expanded access to specialized OCD services and enhanced clinician training are crucial.