Marital adjustment and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Fifty obsessive-compulsives were treated by behavioural therapy (self-exposure in vivo and response prevention) either with their partner directly involved in all aspects of treatment or without their partner. The two treatment formats were equally effective. Although a substantial number of obsessive-compulsives were found to have marital problems, behavioural treatment directed at the obsessive-compulsive disorder resulted in improvement irrespective of marital quality and partner involvement in the therapy. The effects of treatment led neither to a deterioration of the marriage nor to adjustment problems in the partner.
Emmelkamp
P M
PM
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
de Haan
E
E
Hoogduin
C A
CA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010556:Personality Tests