Treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder in the elderly: A review and case example

• Published in: Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 95 - 104
• Main Authors: Calamari, John E., Faber, Samantha D., Hitsman, Brian L., Poppe, Christopher J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.1994; Elsevier
• Subjects: 1-Naphthylamine - administration & dosage; 1-Naphthylamine - adverse effects; 1-Naphthylamine - analogs & derivatives; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Behavior Therapy - methods; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Case studies; Combined Modality Therapy; Desensitization, Psychologic - methods; Elderly people; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Obsessive-Compulsive neuroses; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - adverse effects; Sertraline; Treatment; Treatments; Human; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Chemotherapy; Treatment efficiency; Anxiety disorder; Exposure; Behavior therapy; Review; Elderly
• ISSN: 0005-7916; 1873-7943
• DOI: 10.1016/0005-7916(94)90001-9

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent form of psychopathology in the elderly, yet limited evaluation of the disorder in this age group has occurred. We review the literature and describe a case of OCD effectively treated in an 80-year-old man. Case study reports suggest that elderly persons are responsive to selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, although medication selection and dosage may need to be adjusted as a result of the medical conditions sometimes present in the elderly. Elderly persons appear able to benefit from exposure and response prevention, although behavioral intervention has not been frequently used. We describe here the first case report where exposure and response prevention procedures were successfully used and this intervention was not confounded with psychopharmacologic treatment.