A PRELIMINARY-STUDY OF PARTIAL HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Objective: The study examined the effectiveness of a partial hospital treatment program combining behavioral therapy, medication, and psycho social intervention for severe and treatment-resistant obsessive-compu lsive disorder Methods: A total of 58 patients with a primary diagnosi s of obsessive-compulsive disorder who underwent treatment in a partia l hospital program were assessed at baseline, at program discharge, an d at six-, 12-, and 18-month follow-ups, Obsessive-compulsive symptoms , depression, anxiety symptoms, and global functioning were rated, Res ults: The majority of patients (71 percent) met the criterion for a su ccessful outcome, which was a 25 percent decrease in score on the Yale -Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Fifty-five percent finished the program with YBOCS scores of 16 or less, indicating only mild sym ptoms, Most of these patients sustained their improvement at six, 12, and 18 months after discharge, and many showed further improvement wit h continued outpatient management, Conclusions: The partial hospital t reatment program for obsessive-compulsive disorder appears to be an ef fective intervention that should he implemented and investigated furth er.