NICE issues guidelines on OCD treatment

The first guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could lead to increased prescriptions for drugs to tackle the problem.

OCD is characterised by the presence of obsessions (unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or urges, which repeatedly enter the person’s mind) and/or compulsions (unwanted, unnecessary behaviour such as repeated washing or cleaning, checking electrical appliances or locks, etc). It can occur in people of all ages, and commonly starts in childhood or adolescence.

According to NICE, sufferers typically wait up to 17 years before diagnosis and the start of therapy. The new guidelines set out criteria for diagnosing the condition, and recommends certain treatments.

NICE said that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention (ERP) should be offered as first line therapy for children, young people and adults with mild to moderate OCD.

For patients with more severe OCD or who decline, or do not respond to, psychological treatments should be offered drug treatments (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)) as an alternative to CBT (including ERP).

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE said: “OCD is very common. Some studies suggest it is the fourth most common mental disorder after depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and social phobia with a lifetime prevalence of about one to two per cent.

“The condition often goes unrecognised and untreated and we hope the guideline will help raise awareness of this distressing condition which in most cases can be effectively treated.”

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