Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder that is characterized by the presense of obsessions (unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses suffered by the person on a regular basis) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform). It is estimated that the prevalence rate of the disorder in the general population is between 1-2%.

OCD-related symptoms usually appear in childhood-adolescence or early adulthood. Recent research has indicated that therapeutic interventions in early stages of the disorder favor better clinical and functional recovery. However, the average at which a person receives specialized treatment from the onset of OCD is about 7 years. Different Clinical Practice Guidelines have pointed out that one of the main objectives in the therapeutic approach to OCD is the reduction of waiting time from the onset of the disorder to the implantation of therapies specifically designed for the disease. In this way, they point out, it could increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the treatment packages available to date.

For this reason, the Mental Health Clinical Management Unit of the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital has launched an early intervention protocol for people diagnosed with OCD. This protocol is in line with the objectives set by the Mental Health Plan of Andalucía. The principle objective of the program is the implementation of a set of multidisciplinary interventions in the initial stages of OCD that contribute to a significant improvement in the clinical care of this group of users, thus favoring a better and greater clinical and functional recovery.

The Early Intervention in OCD program also aims to analyze and verify the validity of this type of intervention for people with this pathology. In this regard, the program will also explore the importance and relevance of psychological, social and biological factors in the incidence and evolution of the disorder and in identifying the most effective and efficient lines of clinical intervention.