Purpose: This systematic review examines the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), addressing two major issues: which treatment is most effective in treating the patient's symptoms and which is beneficial for maintaining remission.
Data sources: Seven databases were used to acquire articles. The key words used to search for the relative topics published from 1996 to 2007 were "obsessive-compulsive disorder" and "Yale-Brown obsession-compulsion scale." Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 studies were selected from 57 potentially relevant studies.
Conclusions: The effects of treatment with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs: fluvoxamine, sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, and escitalopram) proved to be similar, except for the lower adherence rate in case of clomipramine because of its side effects. An adequate drug trial involves administering an effective daily dose for a minimum of 8 weeks. An augmentation strategy proven effective for individuals refractory to monotherapy with SSRI treatment alone is the use of atypical antipsychotics (risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine).
Implications for practice: Administration of fluvoxamine or sertraline to patients for an adequate duration is recommended as the first-line prescription for OCD, and augmentation therapy with risperidone, olanzapine, or quetiapine is recommended for refractory OCD.