title: Influence of co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and personality disorders on the outcome of cognitive behavioural treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: This study examined co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder and personality disorders as predictors of treatment outcomes in adult outpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The patients received exposure with response prevention (ERP) treatment with the addition of either elements of cognitive therapy (ERP+CT) or relaxation training (ERP+REL). It was hypothesized that the addition of cognitive interventions would yield better treatment outcomes for patients with co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder. It was also hypothesized that patients with any personality disorder would show less treatment gains in both conditions. Using intention-to-treat criteria, patients with generalized anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder co-morbidity showed less treatment gains at post-treatment across both treatment conditions. This group showed significantly more treatment gains in the ERP+CT condition at the post-treatment and the 12-month follow-up assessments compared with patients in the ERP+REL condition. However, this was not significant when comparing treatment completers. Patients with a co-morbid Cluster A or B personality disorder showed significantly less treatment gains in both treatment conditions at the 12-month follow-up assessment. Among treatment completers, patients with a Cluster C personality disorder showed significantly better outcomes at the post-treatment assessment in the ERP+REL treatment condition. These results, clinical implications, and the importance of further investigations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-- Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway. bjarne.hansen@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Tore C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: K Gunnar
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Götestam
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome