Clinical outcome in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder after discontinuation of SRI treatment: results from a two-year follow-up

• Published in: European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience Vol. 255; no. 1; pp. 48 - 50
• Main Authors: Kordon, Andreas, Kahl, Kai G, Broocks, Andreas, Voderholzer, Ulrich, Rasche-Räuchle, Hildegard, Hohagen, Fritz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01-02-2005
• Subjects: Adult; Clinical outcomes; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Middle Aged; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0940-1334; 1433-8491
• DOI: 10.1007/s00406-004-0533-y

Combined treatment with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SRI) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common therapy approach for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is a matter of debate whether discontinuation of SRI after combined treatment leads to relapse.
Seventy-four consecutively admitted patients suffering from OCD were included in the study. Thirty-seven patients were treated with CBT alone, and 37 patients received combined CBT and SRI treatment. Of these latter patients, seventeen discontinued SRI treatment during the follow-up period (1 and 2 years after inpatient treatment). OCD symptom severity was determined by Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and mood was assessed by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).
During the initial treatment, scores for Y-BOCS (p < 0.001), HDRS (p < 0.001) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) (p < 0.001) improved significantly in all groups. Reassessment two years later revealed that a) OCD symptom severity and depression scores were similar between the groups and b) discontinuation of SRI did not prompt by a recurrence of symptoms.
We interpret our results as suggesting that discontinuation of SRI treatment may be considered in formerly combined treated OCD patients after stable remission.