Early treatment can cure compulsive handwashing
April 4th, 2011 - 3:42 pm ICT by IANSLondon, April 4 (IANS) Compulsive handwashing, the most conspicuous symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among children, can be cured with early recognition and treatment.
OCD in childhood or adolescence often becomes chronic and impairs mental health onward into adulthood.
Other common types are compulsive repetitive behaviour and checking, and obsessive thoughts of an aggressive type.
Susanne Walitza, professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, and colleagues point out that OCD can be diagnosed early with psycho-diagnostic techniques, reports the journal Deutsches Arzteblatt International.
Behavioural therapeutic methods have been found effective and are accordingly considered first-line treatment, according to a statement from the university.
The study authors state that, even after a course of intensive treatment, patients still need psychotherapy or combination therapy to prevent a later recurrence.
Conditions associated with OCD such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder are also present in more than 70 percent of patients. It is often diagnosed too late in children and adolescents.
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Tags: adolescence, adolescents, adulthood, aggressive type, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, child and adolescent psychiatry, combination therapy, diagnostic techniques, hyperactivity, intensive treatment, obsessive compulsive disorder, obsessive thoughts, ocd, psychotherapy, recurrence, repetitive behaviour, study authors, therapeutic methods, treatment patients, university of zurich