A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Augmenting Pharmacotherapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07091440
• Publication Date: 2008-03-04T01:45:12Z
• Authors: Helen Blair Simpson; Edna B. Foa; Michael R. Liebowitz; Deborah Roth Ledley; Jonathan D. Huppert; Shawn Cahill; Donna Vermes; Andrew B. Schmidt; Elizabeth Hembree; Martin Franklin; Raphael Campeas; Chang-Gyu Hahn; Eva Petkova
• Keywords: Pharmacotherapy; Exposure therapy

Objective: Although serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are approved for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), most OCD patients who have received an adequate SRI trial continue to clinically significant symptoms. The purpose this study was examine effects augmenting SRIs with exposure and ritual prevention, established cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) OCD. Method: A randomized, controlled conducted at two academic outpatient clinics compare prevention versus stress management training, another form CBT. Participants were adult outpatients (N=108) primary a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale total score ≥16 despite therapeutic dose least 12 weeks prior entry. 17 sessions CBT (either or training) twice week while continuing pharmacotherapy. Results: Exposure superior training in reducing At 8, significantly more receiving than had decrease symptom severity 25% (based on scores) achieved minimal symptoms (defined as ≤12). Conclusions: Augmentation pharmacotherapy is effective strategy However, not sufficient help these achieve