The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health have launched a clinical guideline on the identification, treatment and management of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in children and adults.
The guidance makes a number of recommendations, including that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention (ERP) should be offered as first line therapy for children, young people and adults with mild to moderate OCD. Also recommended are drug treatments (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) offered as an alternative to CBT for patients with more severe OCD or who decline, or do not respond to, psychological treatments.
Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE and executive lead for this guideline said: “OCD is very common. Some studies suggest it is the fourth most common mental disorder after depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and social phobia with a lifetime prevalence of about 1-2%. The condition often goes unrecognised and untreated and we hope the guideline will help raise awareness of this distressing condition which in most cases can be effectively treated.”
