Psychoeducational treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A narrative review emphasizing family-based approaches

Table 7 The content of brief psychoeducation for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Topics covered
1 What is OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder? What are obsessions and compulsions?
2 How common is OCD?
3 How does the patient feel while experiencing OCD?
4 How do people develop OCD?
5 How is OCD treated? How effective is the treatment?
6 What are the medications used to treat OCD?
7 What is CBT and ERP treatment for OCD?
8 How effective and safe is CBT/ERP?
9 How is CBT/ERP carried out?
10 How long will the treatment take?

Brief psychoeducation consists of brief education sessions delivered before the commencement of exposure and response prevention (ERP) or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)[11,21,111,119,121]. Early education about obsessive-compulsive disorder allows the patients and families to make decisions about treatment based on the evidence. It helps to motivate patients and families and prepares them to tolerate the anxiety that may arise from exposure sessions. Once patients begin ERP or CBT, more detailed psychoeducation takes place over several sessions. Detailed psychoeducation continues throughout the treatment and during the stage of relapse prevention. CBT: Cognitive behavioural therapy; ERP: Exposure and response prevention; OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder.