Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed in response to these obsessions.
Ranked by community outcomes, then evidence grade, Health Voice mentions, and recency.
Why it may help OCD: Often low in OCD
Flowering herb with RCT evidence comparable to SSRIs for mild-to-moderate depression.
Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, is crucial for bone health and immune regulation, with growing evidence suggesting its involvement in thyroid disorders and other autoimmune conditions.
Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb traditionally used to help the body adapt to stress and support mental and physical performance, though scientific evidence is still emerging.
Why it may help OCD: Adjunctive for OCD
Aerobic and resistance exercise have RCT-grade evidence for depression, comparable to SSRIs in mild-moderate cases.
Why it may help OCD: Calms nervous system
Why it may help OCD: Improves obsessive symptoms
Why it may help OCD: Reduces underlying anxiety
Why it may help OCD: Reduces compulsive anxiety
Why it may help OCD: Magnesium may help reduce OCD symptoms by modulating neurotransmitter systems, such as serotonin and GABA, which are involved in anxiety and compulsive behaviors.
Why it may help OCD: N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) may help reduce OCD symptoms by modulating glutamatergic neurotransmission and oxidative stress, which are implicated in the pathophysiology of compulsive behaviors.
A root that has been studied for sleep onset and mild anxiety.
A daisy-like flower that has been studied for mild sedative and digestive effects.
Community outcomes
Self-reported by community members · not medical advice.
Self-reported community outcomes. Not medical advice. Requires at least three reports per remedy to surface.
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Community Discussions
How global health authorities view OCD.
Major health bodies like the Mayo Clinic and NIH acknowledge that while conventional treatments like psychotherapy (especially ERP) and medication are primary for OCD, some complementary approaches may help manage symptoms. However, they generally emphasize that these should not replace standard medical care and often lack robust scientific evidence for direct OCD treatment. The NHS advises caution with herbal remedies due to potential interactions and lack of regulation. Cochrane reviews have focused primarily on pharmacological and psychological interventions, with limited high-quality evidence for specific natural remedies in OCD.
Indexed studies for OCD, grouped by source type and quality.
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Pooled analyses across multiple human trials.
Autistic traits in obsessive compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Derin S, Tetik M, Bora E · Journal of psychiatric research · 2025 · n=1677
Several lines of evidence point to a strong association between OCD and autism-spectrum disorder and broader autism phenotype. However, the extent and nature of overlapping autistic traits has not been completely understood. A systematic review in Pubmed and Scopus databases was performed to compare autistic traits between OCD patients and healthy controls (December 1990 to March 2025). A random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Current meta-analysis included 27 studies consisting of 1677 patients with OCD and 1239 healthy controls. Compared to healthy controls, total autistic traits (g = 1.27, CI = 1.02, 1.53), also ratings in social-communication domain (g = 0.98, CI = 0.66, 1.31), and restricted/repetitive behaviors (RRBs) domain (g = 1.65, CI = 1.27, 2.04) were increased in OCD patients. OCD symptoms were more strongly related to RRBs domain scores (r = 0.34, CI = 0.19, 0.48) than social-communica
Mindfulness strategies for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Perin EA, Carvas Junior N, Civile VT, Moreira RZ, Melnik T · Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) · 2025 · n=499
Mindfulness has been explored in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment, but its efficacy remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for adults with OCD. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Two independent reviewers selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing MBIs with active control interventions, including cognitive/behavioral techniques and psychoeducation. Primary outcomes were obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dropout rates, anxiety, depressive symptoms, mindfulness skills, and quality of life. Six RCTs (n = 499; mean age = 32.8 years; mean disorder duration = 9.83 years) were included. Interventions lasted from 2 to 48 weeks. The certainty of evidence ranged from low to high. Mindfulness did not significantly differ from other strategies for reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms (SMD = -0.08; 95% CI: -0.35 to 0.18), dropout rates
Genome-wide analyses identify 30 loci associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Strom NI, Gerring ZF, Galimberti M, Yu D, Halvorsen MW, Abdellaoui A · Nature genetics · 2025
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects ~1% of children and adults and is partly caused by genetic factors. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis combining 53,660 OCD cases and 2,044,417 controls and identified 30 independent genome-wide significant loci. Gene-based approaches identified 249 potential effector genes for OCD, with 25 of these classified as the most likely causal candidates, including WDR6, DALRD3 and CTNND1 and multiple genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. We estimated that ~11,500 genetic variants explained 90% of OCD genetic heritability. OCD genetic risk was associated with excitatory neurons in the hippocampus and the cortex, along with D1 and D2 type dopamine receptor-containing medium spiny neurons. OCD genetic risk was shared with 65 of 112 additional phenotypes, including all the psychiatric disorders we examined. In particular, OCD shared genetic risk with anxiety, depression, anorexia nervosa and Tourette
Structured reviews of the full body of evidence (incl. Cochrane).
Atopic dermatitis and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review.
Sharifi S, Tan IJ, Jafferany M · Clinical and experimental dermatology · 2025
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prominent inflammatory skin disorder that significantly affects daily functioning and mental health in patients. Among its psychological repercussions, besides anxiety and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has emerged. Multiple studies have indicated an increased risk of OCD in patients with AD. This systematic review aims to synthesize and evaluate the current literature on the association between AD and OCD, with particular attention to mechanisms linking disease and integrative treatment approaches. A search of the PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases was performed on 12 September 2024 to select peer-reviewed English-language studies relevant to our topic. Our results revealed the influences of demographic variables such as sex, age and atopic severity as being central to concomitant disease prevalence, with women and young adults having the highest risk of comorbidity. The complex interaction between the two disease states is thoug
Di Passa AM, Prokop-Millar S, Yaya H, Dabir M, McIntyre-Wood C, Fein A · Journal of psychiatric research · 2024
Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) has gained attention as an enhanced form of traditional TMS, targeting broader and deeper regions of the brain. However, a fulsome synthesis of dTMS efficacy across psychiatric and cognitive disorders using sham-controlled trials is lacking. We systematically reviewed 28 clinical trials comparing active dTMS to a sham/controlled condition to characterize dTMS efficacy across diverse psychiatric and cognitive disorders. A comprehensive search of APA PsycINFO, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, and PubMed databases was conducted. Predominant evidence supports dTMS efficacy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; n = 2), substance use disorders (SUDs; n = 8), and in those experiencing depressive episodes with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD; n = 6). However, the clinical efficacy of dTMS in psychiatric disorders characterized by hyperactivity or hyperarousal (i.e., attention-deficit/hy
See CCH, Tan JM, Tan VSY, Sündermann O · Journal of psychiatric research · 2022
Growing evidence suggests a link between emotion regulation (ER) deficits and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). A systematic review was conducted to integrate empirical research on the nature of ER difficulties associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), validated measures of ER for OCD and evidence base for psychological interventions targeting ER difficulties in OCD. Database searches were conducted on CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, PsycINFO and Scopus with keywords related to ER and OCD. 2609 articles were found, six were identified from other sources and 21 studies were included in this review. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CDR42020184076). The non-acceptance of emotions was the most consistently related to OCS - albeit not uniformly with all OCS dimensions. There was also some evidence suggesting that difficulties in impulse-control, accessing effective ER strategies and engaging in goal-directed behaviours to be related to OCS. No OCD-s
Recommendations from medical societies (NICE, AHA, ADA, ACG, Endocrine Society…).
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: treatment (SCIE and NICE guideline NG94)
NICE
This guideline covers recognising, assessing, and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in children, young people, and adults. It aims to improve care by providing evidence-based recommendations for healthcare professionals.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: treatment
NICE
This guideline covers recognising, assessing, and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in children, young people, and adults. It provides recommendations for psychological therapies and medication.
Controlled human studies with random assignment.
Pellegrini L, Fineberg NA, O'Connor S, De Souza AMFLP, Godfrey K, Reed S · Comprehensive psychiatry · 2025
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and disabling condition. A large proportion of patients fail to respond to first-line treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or clomipramine. Preliminary evidence suggests psilocybin, a serotonin receptor agonist, might be efficacious. We conducted a pharmacological challenge study to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of effect of psilocybin in OCD. This analysis reports the clinical outcomes only. Participants with a diagnosis of OCD of at least moderate severity, received two single doses of oral psilocybin, 1 mg followed by 10 mg, administered in fixed order separated by 4 weeks. On the day of dosing, they were treated in a day-care facility in the presence of clinicians experienced in the use of psychedelics for treating mental disorders. Psychological support was provided before, during and after dosing. Participants and raters were blinded to the orde
Exposure Therapy in Mixed Reality for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Miegel F, Jelinek L, Lohse L, Moritz S, Blömer J, Juckoff K · JAMA network open · 2025
Exposure therapy in virtual reality (VR) is well established for anxiety disorders. While early studies show promise for VR-based exposure and response prevention (ERP) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a key challenge of traditional VR is the weak sense of presence, deemed crucial for effectiveness. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of ERP in mixed reality (MERP). This randomized clinical trial (RCT) included 2 outpatient treatment groups, MERP vs self-guided ERP (SERP) from March 15, 2022, to October 26, 2024. Participants were required to be 18 to 80 years of age and have contamination-related OCD (C-OCD). Exclusion criteria consisted of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, severe substance use disorder, acute suicidality, and ongoing inpatient treatment. Patients' symptom severity was assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) before (baseline) and after the 6-week intervention period as well as 3 months after posttreatment (follow-up). Six session
Parli GM, Gales MA, Gales BJ · The Annals of pharmacotherapy · 2023 · n=121
To evaluate clinical data using oral n-acetylcysteine (NAC) in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCDRD) treatment. PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE (1946-July 2022), and the Cochrane Library database were searched using the terms NAC, children, adolescent, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trichotillomania (TTM), excoriation, hoarding disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. Bibliographies were reviewed for relevant trials and case studies. English language, clinical trials, or case studies analyzing NAC use in patients aged 3 to 21 years old with OCDRD as determined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Three randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials of NAC in children and adolescents studied 121 patients with OCDRD. Trials assessed symptom severity from baseline to 10 to 12 weeks of NAC therapy. Two OCD trials identified statistically significant improvements, with only 1 trial demonstrating a clear clinically relevant difference from p
Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional human studies.
Wang J, Li M, Zhang Z, Duan Y, Zhang Z, Liu H · The journal of headache and pain · 2025 · n=154
Clinical observational evidence suggests a close association between Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) and Mental disorders (MDs). However, the causal relationship between the two remains unclear. This study aims to observe and analyse the associations between depression, anxiety, insomnia, and TN through clinical research. It also employs Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to verify the potential genetic correlation between TN and various mental disorders. offering new insights for the diagnosis, prevention, and intervention strategies for TN. In the cohort study section, clinical data were collected from 154 patients with TN, all of whom were excluded from preoperative use of psychotropic drugs such as carbamazepine. The PHQ-9, GAD-7, and ISI scales were used to assess preoperative symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with questionnaire scores, with model performance evaluated by adjusted R², A
Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Firefighters.
Baboun D, Biazus Soares G, Ezzat R, Vecin N, Yaghi M, Caban-Martinez AJ · Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug · 2024
Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) emerges as a salient concern within the context of firefighters, a professional cohort routinely exposed to an array of hazardous substances as an intrinsic facet of their occupational responsibilities. This continual skin exposure to a spectrum of allergenic and irritant agents engenders an elevated predisposition to OCD among firefighters. Notably, the ramifications of OCD in the domain of occupational health assume substantial import, contributing significantly to the prevalence of work-related dermatological maladies and consequential productivity decrements. However, it is conspicuous that the extant body of scholarly literature addressing the specific incidence of OCD in the firefighter demographic remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, we undertake a comprehensive inquiry into the phenomenon of OCD within the firefighter population. Our framework systematically classifies OCD into 3 discrete categories: allergic contact dermatitis,
Public-health agencies: NCCIH, NIH, CDC, NHS.
NIH/MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus provides comprehensive information on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and living with the condition.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
NHS
This page provides an overview of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options. It serves as a public information resource for individuals seeking to understand the condition.
Registered ongoing or completed trials (ClinicalTrials.gov).
n=120 · NCT07480408 · NOT_YET_RECRUITING · NOT_YET_RECRUITING
The goal of this clinical study is to investigate the neural mechanisms of abnormal sensory phenomena in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and to evaluate whether modulation of the insula-supplementary motor area circuit can improve these symptoms. The study will include adult patients with OCD (with or without sensory phenomena) and healthy volunteers. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do patients with OCD show abnormal activity in the insula-SMA circuit compared with healthy controls? * Is this abnormality associated with the presence and severity of abnormal sensory phenomena? * Can low-frequency rTMS targeting the Supplementary Motor Area improve sensory phenomena and obsessive-compulsive symptoms? Researchers will compare an on-line rTMS group (viewing body-focused videos during stimulation) with an off-line rTMS group (resting during stimulation) to evaluate whether task engagement enhances treatment effects. Participants will: * Complete clinical assessments and behavioral tasks. * Undergo EEG and fMRI assessments. * Receive low-frequency rTMS targeting the Supplementary Motor Area. * Repeat assessments after the intervention.
Using Personalized Assessments in the Treatment of Childhood OCD
n=30 · NCT06407648 · RECRUITING · RECRUITING
The primary purpose of this study is to learn whether personalized assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in childhood OCD using mobile health technology are feasible and acceptable for youth and parents. The investigators will also examine whether personalized cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that is informed by personalized OCD assessments yields better clinical outcomes when compared to standard CBT for youth with OCD
Prospective 2-year Data Collection of the First 10 Patients After Ankle Spacer
n=8 · NCT04297449 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED
Osteochondral defects (OCD) of the talus are pathologic lesions of the talar cartilage and its subchondral bone and might severely deteriorate the quality of life. For the treatment of multiple and/or large talar OCDs and in patients with failed previous surgical treatment the Ankle Spacer was developed. Six patients are included in a prospective clinical and radiological study with a follow-up of two years.
Curated cross-source summaries (TRIP Database and similar).
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
TRIP Database
TRIP Database offers a federated search across multiple evidence sources for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It allows users to quickly find high-quality research evidence, guidelines, and systematic reviews related to OCD.
Cochrane Library: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Cochrane
The Cochrane Library provides high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making, including systematic reviews on various interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is a key resource for evidence-based practice.
TRIP Database: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
TRIP Database
TRIP Database is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find high-quality research evidence to support their practice for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Conventional treatment for OCD typically involves psychotherapy, particularly Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and/or medication, primarily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In some cases, other medications or more intensive treatments may be considered. A mental health professional can provide an accurate diagnosis and develop an
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This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. OCD is a serious mental health condition. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment, especially before starting any new supplements or making significant changes to you
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