Behavior theory associated with psychopharmacotherapy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

an open study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The authors carried out a prospective open study by following-up on 20 patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder for 6 months. Patients were treated with association of behavior therapy and pharmaceuticals which inhibit serotonin reuptake. The objective of the study was to verify the efficacy of behavior therapy and psychopharmacotherapy association in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to evaluate treatment results we used the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the National Institute of Mental Health Global Scale (NIMH), and the Subjective Units of Discomfort Scale (SUDS) before the treatment and at 3 and 6 months of treatment. 
RESULTS: We observed a medial reduction of symptom intensity at 3 months (42% in the YBOCS; 14.28% in the NIMH scale; and 24.4% in the SUDS) and at 6 months
(72% in the YBOCS; 71.42% in the NIMH scale; and 61.9% in the SUDS). The combined treatment was effective in 75% of patients at 3 months, and in 85.6% of patients at 6 months.
CONCLUSIONS: Results were independent from age, schooling, marital status, duration of disorder, how disorder started, presence or not of precipitating event, and intensity of symptoms at the beginning of the treatment. However, patients which had previously used reuptake inhibitors, and were evaluated by the YBOCS scale at 6 months, presented a reduction of symptom intensity that was significantly smaller (P< 0.0421).