Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Obsessions or compulsions that cause personal distress or social dysfunction affect about 1% of adult men and 1.5% of adult women. About half of adults with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have an episodic course, whereas the other half have continuous problems. Prevalence in children and adolescents is 2.7%. The disorder persists in about 40% of children and adolescents at mean follow-up of 5.7 years. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of initial treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder in adults? What are the effects of initial treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents? What are the effects of maintenance treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder in adults? What are the effects of maintenance treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents? What are the effects of treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder in adults who have not responded to initial treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs)? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to August 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS: We found 70 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: addition of antipsychotics to serotonin reuptake inhibitors; behavioural therapy alone or with serotonin reuptake inhibitors; cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (alone or with serotonin reuptake inhibitors); electroconvulsive therapy; serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, clomipramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, or sertraline); and optimum duration of maintenance treatment. QUESTIONS Key points• Obsessions or compulsions that cause personal distress or social dysfunction affect about 1% of adult men and 1.5% of adult women. Prevalence in children and adolescents is 2.7%.About half of adults with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have an episodic course, whereas the other half have continuous problems. Up to half of adults show improvement of symptoms over time. The disorder persists in about 40% of children and adolescents at mean follow-up of 5.7 years.• In adults,CBT and behavioural therapy improve symptoms of OCD compared with a waiting list control.Behavioural therapy may be as effective at improving symptoms as CBT, but we don't know how they compare with SRIs (SSRIs and clomipramine). Behavioural therapy may be more effective than relaxation.• SRIs improve symptoms of OCD in adults ...