Expert opinion in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This commentary outlines assessment and treatment of patients with OCD during the era of COVID-19. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required providers to make important considerations in treatment, including how usual risk is defined, as well as the use of personal protective equipment and telehealth services. These considerations have allowed providers to continue using both reliable and valid assessment procedures, as well as previously established and efficacious interventions. These adjustments create a context in which patient care for OCD remains fundamentally unchanged; however, important considerations should still be made because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To Proceed Via Telehealth or Not? Considerations for Pediatric Anxiety and Related Disorders Beyond COVID-19

“…A benefit of conducting exposures through telehealth is that clinicians have an opportunity to access feared stimuli that are not available or are hard to recreate in the therapy office, such as in-home contaminants, showers, etc. ( Candelari et al, 2021 ). Telehealth also facilitates clinician ability to observe the client in their home environment and obtain a direct view into how the family functions in their naturalistic setting, which can facilitate tailoring of exposure practice.…”

The impact of COVID-19 on the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

“…In these circumstances, it can be useful for the therapist to explore the patient's goals for treatment and to help the patient reorient toward the true objective of ERP, which is to learn to accept and tolerate anxiety and acknowledge that there will always be uncertainty. The therapist can ascertain whether the patient's behavior goes above and beyond recommended guidelines, and whether hygienic behavior takes place in a ritualized way (Candelari et al, 2021). There is no realistic way to completely eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19.…”