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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 5
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/assrj.85.10276.
Carneiro, J. M., & Bertelli, R. (2021). Psychotherapeutic Treatments to Relieve the Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD): A Review of Clinical Reports. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(5). 643-666.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Psychotherapeutic Treatments to Relieve the Symptoms of
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Review of Clinical
Reports
Juliana Margarida Carneiro
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Quinta de Prados, 5001-801
Vila Real, Portugal
Rosangela Bertelli
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Quinta de Prados, 5001-801
Vila Real, Portugal
ABSTRACT
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychopathological condition with high
prevalence, characterised by the presence of obsessions, compulsions or both and
it is known that psychotherapeutic interventions would allow for the relief of some
of the OCD’s symptoms. The aim of the present review of clinical reports published
between 2014 and 2019 in journals indexed in the Online Library of Knowledge (B- on) was to provide an overview of psychotherapeutic treatments that were put into
service, by psychologists or other health professionals, in order to help OCD
patients. Considering that clinical reports are so diverse in terms of reported
strategies of intervention and of changes in cognitions, symptoms and behaviours,
a narrative approach seemed to be better fitted for capturing the psychotherapeutic
treatments reported. Results detected the predominance of the cognitive- behavioural approach with strategies and procedures derived from the cognitive- behavioural model of learning.
Keywords: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, Psychotherapeutic Treatments, Clinical
Reports, Cognitive-Behavioural Strategies, Cognitive-Behavioural Model of Learning
INTRODUCTION
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
According to both DSM-5 [1] and ICD-11 [2], Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is
characterised by the presence of obsessions, compulsions or both. That means that OCD
patients experience persistent and recurring cognitions and associated emotions that cause
anxiety and psychological suffering and contribute to the emission of certain trivial or
repetitive actions or behaviours. OCD’s compulsive rituals performed by a single member of the
family may also affect the whole family, for instance, with parents participating in their
children’s rituals with consequences such as increased symptoms and impairment, and poorer
treatment outcomes [3, 4, 5, 6]. Besides, the coexistence of two or more related medical
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 5, May-2021
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
conditions, that is, comorbidity, is frequently encountered (50% - 60%) in OCD patients [7],
with consequent worsening prognosis, treatment outcomes, and higher suicide rates [8, 9].
Psychotherapeutic Treatments
In recent decades there has been considerable progress in the development of effective
treatments for OCD, including psychotherapeutic interventions [10, 11]. Such interventions are
non-pharmacological psychological methods designed to improve the patient ́s mental or
health-related outcomes producing lasting changes in cognitions and behaviours [12, 13, 14].
Clinical Reports
The main goal of the present review of clinical reports was to enquire about the specific
psychotherapeutic treatments applied to relieve the symptoms of OCD. A review of clinical
reports produced by psychologists or other qualified health professionals was carried out
through: a) Retrieving clinical reports on psychotherapeutic treatments for OCD patients; b)
Extracting all the relevant information from each of the clinical reports; c) Synthesising all the
relevant information extracted from those clinical reports retrieved; d) Ascertaining specific
psychotherapeutic approaches and strategies reported for the treatment of OCD patients.
METHOD
Participants
The clinical reports about 21 patients (between four and 64 years of age) diagnosed with OCD
(12 females and nine males) and submitted to psychotherapeutic treatments were reviewed.
Materials and Procedure
For the purpose of the present study, a review of clinical reports published in indexed journals
from the Online Library of Knowledge (B-on) on the interventions applied, put into service, by
psychologists or other health professionals in the psychotherapeutic treatment of OCD was
used. The present review adopted the following steps:
Step 1
Electronic search on B-on, using Google Chrome Internet browser (version 84.0.4147.105)
connected to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. On B-on homepage, the researcher's
session was started and the option “Research Service” was selected. The “Advanced search” tool
was chosen, which allowed for the combination of terms and the application of limits, which
were previously defined. On this second page, the terms “OCD” (first text field) and
“Psychotherapy” (second text field) were inserted, while in the Search modes and expanders
section, the option “Apply related words” was selected. The search was also limited to full text
articles published in academic journals between 2014 and 2019 in English language. This
electronic search on B-on was carried out on November 17th 2019 at 16:14 hours.
Step 2
Step 2 involved analysing and evaluating titles and abstracts of all those publications identified
by the electronic search. Case reports related to the effects of psychotherapy on the neural fields
and brain areas of patients who suffer from OCD, of psychotherapeutic interventions on
cognitive, emotional or behavioural functioning were considered and included in this review.
Comorbidity, if any, was also considered.