Obsessive-compulsive disorders: How to recognize and treat them

Obsessive-compulsive disorders are characterized by recurrent and persistent obsessive thoughts that are experienced as obtrusive and inappropriate, and (often sterecitypic and repetitive) compulsive actions. Their lifetime prevalence is estimated to be 1-2%. Men and women are affected by such disorders in about equal numbers. The most common comorbidities are depression and anxiety. The etiology is considered to encompass both psychological and neurobiological aspects. The most effective therapeutic approach is cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention as the centra I element, which leads to a lasting improvement in symptoms in some 60-80% of the patients. If a depressive disorder is also present, or if obsessive thoughts are predominant, a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological treatment with (selective) serotonin reuptake inhibitors has proven effective.