Cognitive therapy with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract

People with obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) are widely treated with a combination of medication and behavioural techniques. The success rate is 50-85%, but both relapse and drop-out rates appear high. The use of cognitive therapy (CT) for the treatment of OCD has been suggested. The empirical evidence supporting the use of CT for OCD is examined. A manual and computer (Medline) literature search was performed. Fifteen empirical studies were found: ten non-controlled, and five controlled. There are few controlled CT studies, and these show little evidence of improvement when CT is added to existing therapeutic techniques.