THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF BEHAVIORAL-COGNITIVE, MEDICINAL TECHNIQUES AND THEIR COMBINATION IN TREATING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

This study is conducted to investigate the relative efficacy of behavioral cognitive techniques, medical therapy and their combination in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Methods and Material: This study is based on behavioral-cognitive theories and biochemical treatment of mental disorder. Four groups of 8 were randomly selected from among single and married men and women referring to psychotherapy clinics. Obsessive compulsive disorder scale of Madsly, Bell Brown, Salkovskis, Van open and medicinal treatment were used for measurement. No Significant differences were found to exist between the subjects as for their age, education, sex and duration of suffering from the disorder; however, the difference was significant in their marital status. Also, each individual treatment procedure reduced the symptoms of obsession, depression and anxiety, changed their beliefs, unhealthy feeling and partially improved their social adaptation. However, the combination of medicinal and behavioral-cognitive techniques had higher efficacy. Behavioral-cognitive procedure came up to be superior to medical therapy except in improving depression.