Cognitive-behavioral therapy for medication nonresponders with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a wait-list-controlled open trial

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally recommended for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients who have failed to respond to approved medications. However, few studies of the efficacy of CBT have selected patients who did not respond to medications. METHOD: We selected 20 adult OCD (DSM-IV criteria) patients with a history of inadequate response to adequate doses of multiple medications, as well as a high rate of comorbid disorders. After a 1-month wait-list period, patients received 15 sessions of outpatient CBT incorporating exposure and ritual prevention. RESULTS: OCD severity (as measured with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) decreased significantly (p <.05) after treatment, and gains appeared to have been maintained over a 6-month follow-up period. Analysis of clinical significance indicated that 53% (8/15) of treatment completers met this criterion at posttreatment and 40% (6/15) met the criterion at 6-month follow-up. The sample was characterized as having generally poor insight and putting low effort into CBT; these factors significantly (p <.05) predicted degree of improvement. CONCLUSION: CBT is a useful treatment for OCD patients who have failed to respond adequately to multiple serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. However, these results were attenuated compared with previous trials. Patients with a long history of poor response to medication may have poor insight and/or not put sufficient effort into treatment; these factors are likely to diminish treatment outcome.     

Cognitive-behavioral family treatment of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder: preliminary findings

The effectiveness of a 14-week cognitive-behavioral family treatment protocol for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was piloted using a volunteer sample of seven children aged 10-14 years. The primary outcome measures were diagnostic status, symptom severity, and global functioning which were assessed at pre- and post-treatment, and at three-month follow-up. A series of self-report measures assessing obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, depression, and family factors were also completed at pre- and post-treatment. The results indicated that six participants no longer met criteria for OCD at post-treatment, with a mean reduction of 60% in symptom severity. Self-reported obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and family involvement in the disorder also significantly decreased across time. The findings support the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment with a structured family component for childhood OCD. Further research investigating the comparative efficacy of treatment with and without family involvement is warranted.     

Cognitive-behavioral family treatment of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder: a controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relative efficacy of (1) individual cognitive-behavioral family-based therapy (CBFT); (2) group CBFT; and (3) a waitlist control group in the treatment of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: This study, conducted at a university clinic in Brisbane, Australia, involved 77 children and adolescents with OCD who were randomized to individual CBFT, group CBFT, or a 4- to 6-week waitlist control condition. Children were assessed before and after treatment and at 3 months and 6 months following the completion of treatment using diagnostic interviews, symptom severity interviews, and self-report measures. Parental distress, family functioning, sibling distress, and levels of accommodation to OCD demands were also assessed. Active treatment involved a manualized 14-week cognitive-behavioral protocol, with parental and sibling components. RESULTS: By an evaluable patient analysis, statistically and clinically significant pretreatment-to-posttreatment change occurred in OCD diagnostic status and severity across both individual and group CBFT, with no significant differences in improvement ratings between these conditions. There were no significant changes across measures for the waitlist condition. Treatment gains were maintained up to 6 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to previous findings and expectations, group CBFT is as effective in reducing OCD symptoms for children and adolescents as individual treatment. Findings support the efficacy and durability of CBFT in treating childhood OCD.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy as an adjunct to serotonin reuptake inhibitors in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open trial.

BACKGROUND: We report the results of an open trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) using exposure and ritual prevention as an adjunct to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We hypothesized that exposure and ritual prevention would significantly reduce OCD symptoms in patients who remained symptomatic despite an adequate trial of an SRI and enable patients to discontinue their medication. METHOD: OCD patients taking an adequate dose of an SRI > or = 12 weeks who remained symptomatic (i.e., a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS] score > or = 16) were eligible. While taking a stable dose of an SRI, patients received 17 sessions of exposure and ritual prevention. For the intent-to-treat group, the paired t test was used to compare scores on the Y-BOCS, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Global OCD scale, the Clinical Global Impressions scale, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression before and after exposure and ritual prevention. RESULTS: Six of 7 eligible patients entered the study, and 5 completed it. All 6 improved on all OCD measures. The mean +/- SD Y-BOCS score was 23.8 +/- 2.6 prior to exposure and ritual prevention and 12.2 +/- 4.3 after it (p < .001). The mean percentage decrease on the Y-BOCS was 49% (range, 26%-61%). Patients were rated by the therapist and rated themselves as much (N = 4) or very much (N = 2) improved. Blood drug levels did not change in most patients during exposure and ritual prevention; thus, the improvement was attributed to this type of therapy. No patients discontinued their medication. CONCLUSION: This open trial suggests that CBT using exposure and ritual prevention can lead to a significant reduction in OCD symptoms in patients who remain symptomatic despite an adequate trial of an SRI.     

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a 1-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) over a 1-year follow-up period. METHOD: Forty-two OCD patients, who completed 12 sessions of CBGT, were followed for 1 year. Measures of the severity of symptoms were obtained at the end of the acute treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment using the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) and the clinical global impression (CGI). RESULTS: The reduction in the severity of symptoms observed at the end of the treatment was maintained during 1 year (F2,41=1.1; P=0.342). Eleven patients (35.5%) relapsed in the follow-up period. The intensity of improvement (log rank=12.97, GL=1, P=0.0003) and full remission (log rank=6.17; GL=1; P=0.001) were strong predictors for non-relapsing. CONCLUSION: The CBGT is an effective treatment for OCD and its results are maintained for 1 year. However, further long-term randomized controlled trials are needed in order to confirm this finding.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD in children and adolescents: a preliminary randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of individual trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and young people. METHOD: Following a 4-week symptom-monitoring baseline period, 24 children and young people (8-18 years old) who met full DSM-IV PTSD diagnostic criteria after experiencing single-incident traumatic events (motor vehicle accidents, interpersonal violence, or witnessing violence) were randomly allocated to a 10-week course of individual CBT or to placement on a waitlist (WL) for 10 weeks. RESULTS: Compared to the WL group, participants who received CBT showed significantly greater improvement in symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, with significantly better functioning. After CBT, 92% of participants no longer met criteria for PTSD; after WL, 42% of participants no longer met criteria. CBT gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Effects of CBT were partially mediated by changes in maladaptive cognitions, as predicted by cognitive models of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Individual trauma-focused CBT is an effective treatment for PTSD in children and young people.     

An open trial of group metacognitive therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Research supporting the metacognitive model of OCD (Wells, A. (2000). Emotional disorders and metacognitions: Innovative cognitive therapy. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons; Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: A practice manual and conceptual guide. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons) is beginning to accumulate Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) aims to teach clients to shift to a ‘metacognitive mode’ and incorporates cognitive strategies and behavioural experiments, with the aim of modifying maladaptive metacognitive beliefs rather than the content of anxious beliefs themselves. The current paper reports on a preliminary study, applying MCT in a clinical group setting with eight adults suffering from a variety of OCD presentations. Promising results indicate a larger randomised controlled trial, with recovery achieved for seven of the eight participants on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale at 3-month follow-up. All participants demonstrated improvement on measures of OCD symptom severity and metacognitions.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and impairing condition in youth. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), now widely recognized as the gold standard intervention for childhood OCD, relies on exposure and response prevention, and also includes psychoeducation, creation of a symptom hierarchy, imaginal exposures, cognitive interventions, and a contingency management system. This article reviews the theoretical underpinnings of current CBT approaches, key components of treatment, developmental considerations specific to childhood OCD, and evidence supporting the use of this psychosocial intervention. The current state of knowledge will be aided by further study of predictors and mechanisms of CBT treatment response.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a non-randomized comparison of intensive and weekly approaches

This study examined the relative efficacy of intensive versus weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Sixty-two adults with OCD received either 14 sessions of weekly (n=30) or intensive CBT (n=32; daily psychotherapy sessions) in a non-randomized format. Assessments were conducted at Pre-treatment, Post-treatment, and 3-month Follow-up by raters who were blind to treatment group at the Pre-treatment assessment. Intensive and weekly CBT were similar in efficacy at Post-treatment and Follow-up and associated with large treatment effect sizes. Since many people with OCD do not have access to trained CBT providers, intensive treatment may be a viable option in such cases.     

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy versus group psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder among college students: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: In this randomized controlled trial, cognitive–behavioral group therapy (CBGT) for social anxiety disorder (SAD) was compared to group psychotherapy (GPT), a credible, structurally equivalent control condition that included only nonspecific factors of group treatment (such as group dynamics). Methods: Participants were 45 college students at the University of Colorado with a primary diagnosis of SAD. Each treatment condition comprised eight group sessions lasting 2 hr each. Independent assessors (blind to treatment assignment) assessed participants at baseline and posttreatment with the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Results: Both treatments were found to be equally credible. There were five noncompleters in the CBGT condition (21.7%) and only one in the GPT condition (4.3%). There were no statistically significant differences posttreatment (controlling for pretreatment scores) between the two treatment conditions, and both treatments were found to be efficacious. Effect sizes for CBGT were similar to earlier studies, and adherence ratings revealed excellent adherence. Conclusions: Treatment of SAD appears to be moving toward individual CBT, partly because of high attrition rates and underutilization of group dynamics in group CBT. However, group therapy has unique therapeutic ingredients, and it may be too early to give up on group treatment altogether. Discussion of these findings included future directions with this treatment modality, especially whether these two types of group treatment could be combined and whether such combination might serve to decrease attrition, enhance efficacy, and facilitate dissemination. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

强迫症团体认知行为治疗与药物治疗的随机对照研究

目的分析团体认知行为治疗(group cognitive-behavioral therapy,GCBT)对强迫症患者的疗效。方法本研究采用随机对照试验设计,与常规抗强迫药物治疗做对照。将符合入组标准的94例未用药强迫症患者,采用Excel软件中的RAND函数产生随机数字表形成随机分组序列的简单随机分组法,随机分为GCBT组(47例)和药物治疗组(47例)。经12周的结构化GCBT治疗和常规抗强迫药物治疗,采用t检验、卡方检验和方差分析比较2组间Y-BOCS、HAMA14和HAMD24平均减分率和减分值的差异。结果(1)2组基线Y-BOCS及HAMA14评分差异无统计学意义(t=0.281,P=0.779;t=0.795,P=0.429),但GCBT组HAMD24评分显著低于药物治疗组(t=2.316,P<0.05)。2组各有16例患者退出治疗,总脱落率为34%(32/94)。(2)12周治疗结束时,2组患者的Y-BOCS评分较基线显著降低,GCBT组和药物治疗组治疗前后Y-BOCS平均减分率[(37.0±27.4)%比(45.5±22.9)%]和平均减分值[(9.0±6.3)分比(11.0±5.8)分]比较差异无统计学意义[F(1,62)=0.069,P=0.794;F(1,62)=0.001,P=0.975]。GCBT组和药物治疗组的有效率和治愈率差异无统计学意义(χ^2=1.653,P=0.199;χ^2=0.088,P=0.767)。(3)GCBT组HAMA14减分率和减分值与药物治疗组治疗前后比较差异无统计学意义(t=-0.922,P=0.362;t=1.082,P=0.286)。(4)GCBT组HAMD24减分率与药物治疗组治疗前后比较差异无统计学意义,但药物治疗组HAMD24减分值显著高于GCBT组(t=2.239,P=0.029)。结论GCBT与常规抗强迫药物治疗强迫症患者的强迫和焦虑症状的疗效相当,常规药物治疗对抑郁症状的疗效优于GCBT。     

An open trial of buspirone in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Of 14 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who entered an 8-week open trial of buspirone, none improved. The ineffectiveness of buspirone may shed light on the serotonergic hypothesis that has been proposed for this disorder.     

Mirtazapine for obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open trial followed by double-blind discontinuation

BACKGROUND: Many patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience little response to standard treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Mirtazapine enhances serotonergic function by a mechanism distinct from reuptake inhibition. Because a pilot study suggested effectiveness of mirtazapine in OCD, we conducted a controlled trial. METHOD: We recruited 30 subjects, 15 treatmentnaive and 15 treatment-experienced, with DSM-IV OCD of > or =1 year's duration and a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) score of > or =20. In the 12-week, open-label phase, subjects received mirtazapine starting at 30 mg/day and titrated over 2 weeks as tolerated to 60 mg/day. At week 12, responders (YBOCS score decrease > 25%) were randomly assigned, double-blind, to continue mirtazapine or switch to placebo for 8 weeks, including a 1-week, double-blind taper week for placebo subjects. RESULTS: In the open-label phase, the mean +/-SD YBOCS score fell from 28.3 +/-3.7 to 20.3 +/-8.5 (paired samples t = 4.81, p < .0001). Four subjects (13.3%) discontinued for side effects. Sixteen subjects (53.3%) (8 treatmentnaive, 8 treatment-experienced) were responders and 15 agreed to randomization. Response was independent of comorbid mood disorders. In the 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled discontinuation phase, the mirtazapine group's mean YBOCS score fell a mean +/-SD of 2.6 +/-8.7 points while the placebo group's mean score rose a mean +/-SD of 9.1 +/-7.5 points (Mann Whitney U = 6.5, p = .005, 1-tailed). All other outcome measures were consistent with mirtazapine's superiority versus placebo. CONCLUSION: Mirtazapine may be an effective pharmacotherapy for OCD. If our results are replicated, larger double-blind studies would be indicated.     

Cognitive therapy for schizophrenia: a preliminary randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to assess whether patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and experiencing persistent positive and negative symptoms improve with the addition of cognitive-behavioural therapy to enriched standard treatment. METHODS: A controlled study was completed with 42 patients randomized to either cognitive-behavioural therapy plus enriched treatment-as-usual (CBT-ETAU) (n = 24) or enriched treatment-as-usual only (ETAU) (n = 18). Enriched treatment-as-usual comprised comprehensive treatment within specialised schizophrenia treatment services. Cognitive-behavioural therapy was conducted on an individual basis for 6 months (20 sessions). Clinical assessments were done at pretreatment, posttreatment and at 6-month follow-up by raters blind to group allocation. RESULTS: Significant clinical effects were observed for positive, negative and overall symptom severity for patients treated in CBT-ETAU, although there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups at posttreatment. The most pronounced effect of CBT-ETAU in comparison to ETAU in this study was in the reduction of negative symptoms at follow-up. CONCLUSION: These results show promise for the impact of CBT on negative symptoms when explicitly targeted in treatment.     

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia: a randomized, controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis

A randomized, controlled trial was conducted to examine the cost-effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for panic disorder with agoraphobia. A total of 100 participants were randomly assigned to standard (n = 33), group (n = 35), and brief (n = 32) treatment conditions. Results show significant clinical and statistical improvement on standard symptom measures and quality of life from baseline to posttreatment and 3-month follow-up, with no significant differences between treatment conditions. Compared with standard CBT, brief and group CBT incurred lower treatment costs and had a superior cost-effectiveness ratio, suggesting the potential of these alternative treatment conditions in increasing access to effective treatment.     

A controlled trial of fluvoxamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder: implications for a serotonergic theory

Thirty-eight patients with primary obsessive-compulsive disorder participated in a 10-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the potent, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine. Fluvoxamine was significantly better than placebo on two of three measures of improvement in obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The authors also compared studies of the serotonergic agents fluvoxamine, sertraline, fluoxetine, and clomipramine and found that a greater effect size was associated with less serotonergic specificity and that some ability to affect other neurotransmitter systems may be a necessary but not sufficient requirement for antiobsessional activity. These data lend only partial support to a serotonin hypothesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder.     

Citalopram intravenous infusion in resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open trial

BACKGROUND: Treatment with intravenous clomipramine is rapidly effective in some obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients unresponsive to orally administered serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram is effective for OCD when administered orally. We investigated whether intravenous citalopram would rapidly benefit OCD patients unresponsive to orally administered SRIs. METHOD: Thirty-nine adult outpatients participated in a 3-week open-label trial of intravenous citalopram. Eligible patients had moderate-to-severe DSM-IV OCD of > or = 1 year's duration, a baseline Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) score > or = 25, and no other active Axis I diagnosis and had failed at least 2 adequate oral SRI trials, excluding citalopram. Intravenous citalopram was administered daily for 21 days, followed by oral citalopram until treatment day 84. Intravenous citalopram was started at 20 mg/day and was increased to 40 to 80 mg/day as tolerated. RESULTS: Intravenous citalopram was well tolerated even at higher doses (dropout rate = 2.6%). At day 21, 23 (59%) of the 39 patients had YBOCS score decreases of > or = 25%, of whom 4 had decreases of > or = 35%. Twenty-seven patients with YBOCS score decreases of > or = 20% were allowed to continue on treatment with oral citalopram, and by day 84, all had substantial further improvement. All 27 patients also showed significant improvement in several dimensions of quality of life. CONCLUSION: Intravenous citalopram was safe and rapidly effective in a group of treatment-resistant OCD patients. The early onset of response suggests a means of accelerating OCD symptom relief and predicting response to oral citalopram treatment. Double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled trials of intravenous versus oral citalopram in patients with treatment-resistant OCD are indicated.