Pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder: experience with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Since the introduction of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI s) a decade ago, they have become first-line agents in the treatment of obs essive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Numerous clinical trials have confirmed t heir efficacy, and established their superior risk-benefit ratio in compari son with clomipramine, a non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Relati vely higher doses and longer duration of treatment may be necessary to effe ct a response in OCD, with long-term treatment being required to maintain t herapeutic gains. Despite the advances represented by the SSRIs, treatment resistance remains a problem. While no one solution exists, various strateg ies, including pharmacotherapy augmentation, look promising. Int Clin Psych opharmacol 2000, 15 (suppl 2):S7-S13 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins .