Predicting therapy outcome in patients with early and late obsessive-compulsive disorder (EOCD and LOCD).
BACKGROUND
Increasing attention has been given to subtyping OCD with respect to different clinical profiles, response to drug treatments, comorbidity and age of onset. There are a number of studies looking at predictors of treatment outcome in OCD, but so far not for OCD subtypes.


METHODS
Prediction of outcome after cognitive-behavioural therapy was evaluated in 63 inpatients with early obsessive-compulsive disorder (EOCD < or = 12 years of age) and 191 patients with late obsessive-compulsive disorder (LOCD > 15 years of age).


RESULTS
For EOCD patients factors predicting a good outcome included high motivation and high initial Y-BOCS scores. Factors associated with a bad outcome were higher age at assessment, a longer duration of psychiatric inpatient treatment before assessment and a low level of social functioning (BSS). For LOCD patients living in a stable relationship, high motivation and completing treatment predicted a favourable therapy outcome, while a low level of psychological functioning (BSS) and a longer duration of inpatient psychiatric treatment before assessment were associated with an undesirable therapy outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Subtyping OCD patients according to age of onset seems to be a promising avenue towards improving and developing more specified treatment programs.
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Judith
J
Langner
Manuela
M
Laws
Gisela
G
Röper
Michael
M
Zaudig
Walter
W
Hauke
Christoph
C
Piesbergen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D011594:Psychometrics; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D012951:Socialization; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult