Expert Consensus Guidelines™

Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

One in 50 adults in the United States currently has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and twice that many have had this disabling disorder at some point in their lives. A number of effective treatments¾in particular, cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] and serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications[SRIs] ¾have been introduced in recent years, making it possible for patients with OCD to gain control over their obsessions and compulsions and achieve more satisfying lives. Based on a survey of 69 experts on OCD, these Expert Consensus Guidelines™ provide guidance on how to choose the most appropriate treatment for the specific patient, depending on his or her age and symptomatic presentation, key questions that are often inadequately addressed by the research literature. The guidelines cover selecting the initial treatment strategy (whether to use CBT, an SRI, or a combination of both) for children, adolescents, and adults with OCD depending on the severity of their symptoms. Guidelines also cover more detailed issues, such as matching specific CBT techniques to specific types of symptoms, level of care issues (i.e., intensity, setting, format, number of sessions), and strategies for using the different SRIs. Other guidelines cover managing an inadequate response to treatment, strategies for treatment-resistant illness, maintenance treatment, minimizing side effects, treatment of OCD complicated by comorbid psychiatric (e.g., panic disorder, depression, schizophrenia, ADHD) or medical illness or by pregnancy. Graphic treatment algorithms are included, as well as an appendix on doses and side effects of medications. Also included is a "Guide for Patients and Families." that was developed with the assistance of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (OCF).

The following files are available for download:

A. Guidelines for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, in HTML

This document may be downloaded and printed free of charge.

HTML format (77k)

B. A Guide for Patients and Families, in HTML

This document may be downloaded and printed free of charge.

HTML format (48k)

Other Publications on OCD

OCD in Children and Adolescents, by John S. March and Karen Mulle. Guilford, 1998

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide to Getting Well and Staying Well, by Fred Penzel. Oxford University Press, 2000

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