Downloaded from bmj.com on 29 August 2006 Obsessive-compulsive disorder I Heyman, D Mataix-Cols and N A Fineberg BMJ 2006;333;424-429 doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7565.424 Updated information and services can be found at: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7565/424 These include: References This article cites 24 articles, 10 of which can be accessed free at: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7565/424#BIBL Rapid responses One rapid response has been posted to this article, which you can access for free at: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7565/424#responses You can respond to this article at: http://bmj.com/cgi/eletter-submit/333/7565/424 Email alerting Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article - sign up in the service box at the top right corner of the article Topic collections Articles on similar topics can be found in the following collections Other Psychiatry (874 articles) Notes To order reprints of this article go to: http://www.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/subscriptions/subscribe.shtml Downloaded from bmj.com on 29 August 2006 Clinical review Obsessive-compulsive disorder I Heyman, D Mataix-Cols, N A Fineberg National and Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the more Specialist OCD common serious mental illnesses. The shame and Service for Young Summary points People, Children’s secrecy associated with it, as well as lack of recognition Department, of its characteristic symptoms, can lead to delay in Maudsley Hospital, Obsessive-compulsive disorder can occur at any diagnosis and treatment. Effective psychological and London age but most often presents for the first time in drug treatments are available for the distressing, time I Heyman adolescence consultant child and consuming, repetitive thoughts and rituals and the adolescent psychiatrist associated functional impairment. This article reviews Long delays in diagnosis often occur, and the Institute of the presentation and assessment of obsessive- Psychiatry, King’s shame associated with the disorder may inhibit College, London compulsive disorder and discusses the current best people from mentioning the symptoms D Mataix-Cols treatment options, as well as directions for the future. senior lecturer in neuropsychology and General practitioners should ask specific screening neuroscience of Methods questions if obsessive-compulsive disorder is suspected emotional disorders We searched for the term “obsessive compulsive disor- Postgraduate der” in electronic databases and referred to published Mild cases may be helped by guided self help; Medical School, systematic reviews, including the recently published most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder University of Hertfordshire, guideline from the National Institute for Health and should be offered cognitive behaviour therapy Hatfield Clinical Excellence (NICE). incorporating exposure and response prevention N A Fineberg consultant psychiatrist Children and adults with obsessive-compulsive and visiting professor Who gets it and why does it matter? disorder may be offered selective serotonin Correspondence to: Obsessive-compulsive disorder occurs throughout the reuptake inhibitor drugs; this should be a second I Heyman, life span, and children as young as 6 or 7 present with Children’s line treatment in young people Department, PO the characteristic impairing symptoms (box 1). At the Box 085, Institute of other end of the age range, patients may present for The condition may remit, but can be relapsing or Psychiatry, the first time in old age. Most adults with the disorder DeCrespigny Park, chronic; people with obsessive-compulsive disorder London SE5 8AF report onset in childhood or adolescence. The who relapse should have rapid access to services i.heyman@ condition can result in considerable disability; for iop.kcl.ac.uk example, children may drop out of education and adults can become housebound. The World Health BMJ 2006;333:424–9 needed in a range of non-psychiatric healthcare Organization rates obsessive-compulsive disorder as settings, and clinicians need to be confident about one of the top 20 most disabling diseases. If untreated, 1 recognising it. it generally persists, yet effective, evidence based psychological and drug treatments are available. What are the symptoms? Recent epidemiological studies report prevalence rates of 0.8% in adults and 0.25% in 5-15 year old chil- Obsessions are unwanted ideas, images, or impulses dren,23although earlier studies suggested rates as high that repeatedly enter a person’s mind. Although recog- as 1-3% in adults and 1-2% in children and nised as being self generated, they are experienced as adolescents. “egodystonic” (out of character, unwanted, and Why do clinicians need to know about it? Table 1 Non-psychiatrists likely to see patients with People of all ages with obsessive-compulsive disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) understand the senseless nature of their repetitive, Professional Reason for consultation unwanted behaviours and intrusive, recurrent General practitioner Depression, anxiety thoughts. This may lead to shame, reluctance to seek Dermatologist Chapped hands, eczema, trichotillomania help, and poor recognition by health professionals. Cosmetic surgeon Concerns about appearance (body dysmorphic disorder) People with the disorder have long delays in accessing Oncologist Fear of cancer effective treatments—17 years on average in one study.4 Genitourinary specialist Fear of HIV They frequently present to non-psychiatrists for Neurologist OCD associated with Tourette’s syndrome treatment (table 1), and psychiatric symptoms go Obstetrician OCD during pregnancy or puerperium undetected. Greater awareness of the condition is Gynaecologist Vaginal discomfort from douching 424 BMJ VOLUME 333 26 AUGUST 2006 bmj.com Downloaded from bmj.com on 29 August 2006 Clinical review Box 1: Most common symptoms of Box 2: ICD-10 definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder • Either obsessions or compulsions (or both) present on most days for a period of at least two weeks Obsessions • Obsessions (thoughts, images, or ideas) and compulsions share the • Fear of causing harm to someone else following features, all of which must be present: • Fear of harm coming to self Acknowledged as originating in the mind of the patient • Fear of contamination Repetitive and unpleasant; at least one recognised as excessive or • Need for symmetry or exactness unreasonable • Sexual and religious obsessions At least one must be unsuccessfully resisted (although resistance may • Fear of behaving unacceptably be minimal in some cases) • Fear of making a mistake Carrying out the obsessive thought or compulsive act is not intrinsically pleasurable Compulsions Behaviours • Cleaning ries about harm, such as being responsible for an • Handwashing accident or the fear of contamination, accompanied by avoidance of situations in which harm or contamination • Checking may occur. These obsessions are linked with compulsive • Ordering and arranging behaviours, which may temporarily reduce the associ- • Hoarding ated anxiety, such as excessive checking or cleaning ritu- • Asking for reassurance als. Other common obsessions include a need for Mental acts symmetry or orderliness, often associated with counting, • Counting ordering, and arranging compulsions; unwarranted • Repeating words silently fears and images about committing aggressive or sexual • Ruminations acts; and compulsive hoarding. People of all ages, but • “Neutralising” thoughts especially children, may involve family members in their compulsions or persistently demand reassurance. Exces- sive doubt, the need for completeness, shame, and abnormal assessment of risk in the mind of the patient distressing). Compulsions are repetitive stereotyped are thought to underlie most obsessions. behaviours or mental acts driven by rules that must be Aggressive obsessions are common and must be applied rigidly. They are often intended to neutralise differentiated from violent thoughts occurring in other anxiety provoked by the obsessions (fig 1). They are not disorders, such as urges to hurt people in psychopathy. inherently enjoyable and do not result in the People with pure obsessive-compulsive disorder worry completion of any useful task. To qualify for the that they might commit an offence but do not carry out diagnosis, the symptoms must be disabling. Even the feared act and spend an excessive amount of time among children, in whom diagnostic criteria allow less and energy resisting and controlling their behaviour to insight, most patients acknowledge the senselessness of avoid the risk of harm. However, obsessive-compulsive the thoughts and behaviours, as well as the wish to be disorder may occur together with other complicating rid of them. Box 2 summarises the ICD-10 (interna- conditions (table 2).5 Screening for and treating these tional classification of diseases, 10th revision) criteria comorbidities is an important part of the management. for diagnosing the condition. Most patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder Can questionnaires help with diagnosis? experience both obsessions and compulsions (box 1). Recognition of obsessive-compulsive disorder may Common obsessions include unrealistic distressing wor- require direct questions, as the affected person is often reluctant to volunteer symptoms, particularly if the symptoms are perceived as embarrassing (such as sexual Obsessions obsessions). People with hoarding symptoms may