Obsessive-compulsive disorder: conceptual and clinical aspects

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, prevalent, and disabling psychiatric that affects people of all ages may have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to review conceptual clinical aspects OCD, including its history, diagnosis, symptom dimensions, etiology, assessment, prevention, treatment. The history OCD shows transition from religious medical conceptions. main symptoms involve presence obsessive thoughts compulsive acts, which can manifest themselves in four dimensions: ‘contamination cleanliness’, ‘order symmetry’, ‘doubt verification’, ‘disgusting mental rituals’. heterogeneity manifestation make it difficult understand causes compare treatment responses. management involves assessment; prevention through psychoeducation reducing family accommodation; pharmacological psychotherapeutic First-line treatments administration serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy, with exposure ritual avoidance techniques, cognitive reappraisal.