Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescence

Abstract

This article reports our experience with 14 adolescent cases of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In contradistinction to other reports in the literature, our results were quite good with these patients. Although we used recommended treatment measures (exposure in vivo and clomipramine drug therapy), we found a good prognosis to be independent to these specific measures. In fact, adolescents tend not to cooperate very well with behaviour therapy and medication. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, was often quite useful. Our conclusion is that non-specific milieu therapy leads to recovery in a majority of adolescent obsessive compulsives. We are not sure as to how long these remissions will last on follow-up. © 1988 The Association for the Psychiatric Study of Adolescents.