Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Spectrum: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the more complex and difficult mental disorders to diagnose and treat. Treatment of this condition is complicated by the fact that OCD shares symptoms with other major neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia as well as a spectrum of related disorders such as hypochondriasis, eating disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Based on extensive clinical experience with more than 2,000 patients and exhaustive literature reviews, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Spectrumpresents a comprehensive examination of OCD, its related disorders, and their treatment regimens. In this book, Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu propose a unique theory for OCD that defines the condition as a complex phenomenon of unknown duration with a variable symptomatology that affects the individual’s cognitive, behavioral, biological, and social well-being. They argue that OCD is not a single clinical entity but part of a continuum of related disorders previously considered to be separate. As a result, the authors advocate an integrated approach to treatment including family intervention, cognitive-behavior therapy, and pharmacotherapy.