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Moderators and predictors of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy augmentation of pharmacotherapy in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2010

M. J. Maher ,
J. D. Huppert ,
H. Chen ,
N. Duan ,
E. B. Foa ,
M. R. Liebowitz  and
H. B. Simpson
M. J. Maher
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
J. D. Huppert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
H. Chen
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
N. Duan
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
E. B. Foa
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
M. R. Liebowitz
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
H. B. Simpson*
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: H. B. Simpson, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 69, New York, NY 10032, USA. (Email: simpson@nyspi.cpmc.columbia.edu)
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Abstract

Background

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) consisting of exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is efficacious as a treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, about half of patients have a partial or poor response to EX/RP treatment. This study examined potential predictors and moderators of CBT augmentation of pharmacotherapy, to identify variables associated with a poorer response to OCD treatment.

Method

Data were drawn from a large randomized controlled trial that compared the augmenting effects of EX/RP to stress management training (SMT; an active CBT control) among 108 participants receiving a therapeutic dose of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI). Stepwise regression was used to determine the model specification.

Results

Pretreatment OCD severity and gender were significant moderators of outcome: severity affected SMT (but not EX/RP) outcome; and gender affected EX/RP (but not SMT) outcome. Adjusting for treatment type and pretreatment severity, significant predictors included greater co-morbidity, number of past SRI trials, and lower quality of life (QoL). Significant moderators, including their main-effects, and predictors accounted for 37.2% of the total variance in outcome, comparable to the impact of treatment type alone (R2=30.5%). These findings were replicated in the subgroup analysis of EX/RP alone (R2=55.2%).

Conclusions

This is the first randomized controlled study to examine moderators and predictors of CBT augmentation of SRI pharmacotherapy. Although effect sizes for individual predictors tended to be small, their combined effect was comparable to that of treatment. Thus, future research should examine whether monitoring for a combination of these risk factors and targeting them with multi-modular strategies can improve EX/RP outcome.

Keywords

CBTclinical trialsexposure therapyOCD
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 12 , December 2010 , pp. 2013 - 2023
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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