Symptom Presentation and Outcome of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Previous researchers have classified obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients by the themes of their obsessions and compulsions (e.g., washing, checking); however, mental compulsions have not been adequately assessed in these studies. The authors conducted 2 studies using a large sample of OCD patients ( N = 132). In the 1st study, they categorized patients on the basis of symptom presentation, giving adequate consideration to mental compulsions. Five patient clusters were identified: harming, contamination, hoarding, unacceptable thoughts, and symmetry. Mental compulsions were most prevalent among patients with intrusive, upsetting religious, violent, or sexual thoughts. In the 2nd study, they compared response to cognitive-behavioral therapy across symptom categories, finding poorer outcomes among patients with hoarding symptoms compared with those with other symptom themes.