The future of pharmacotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder may lie in a better understanding of its heterogeneity

Abstract

Pharmacological treatments currently available to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rarely produce remission. This Editorial aims to encourage more targeted research based on the specific OCD symptoms patients primarily present with. Specific OCD symptoms have been associated with distinct clinical characteristics, aetiological hypotheses and treatment responses. Treatment studies should use these findings to develop more targeted pharmacotherapy for patients with OCD. © 2014 Informa UK, Ltd.