Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders: recommendations of the revised S3 guidelines on obsessive-compulsive disorders

In 2022, the first revised version of the S3 guidelines on obsessive-compulsive disorder will be published under the auspices of the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN). This article contains a summary of the most important recommendations for therapy in a condensed form. There were no major changes in the central basic therapy recommendations compared with the first version of the guidelines, as the evidence base has not fundamentally changed since then. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response management is the most effective form of therapy for this clinical picture and therefore the therapy of first choice. Regarding pharmacotherapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the first-line medications. They are indicated when CBT with exposure is not available or has not been effective, when CBT is rejected by the patient and in the patient's personal preference for medication, or to increase the readiness for CBT with exposure. New recommendations include, e.g., the use of Internet therapy, and recommendations for the use of CBT and exposure, e.g., also in group format, including video conferencing if appropriate as well as in intensive format.