This book seeks to provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and its relationship to other common clinical conditions. As is clear from the subtitle, the contributing authors and I have approached the clinical and psychological entity of OCD from multiple perspectives. OCD is heterogeneous in its clinical presentations, and we have dedicated considerable space to a detailed exploration of its various manifestations to do justice to this diversity. This includes perspectives from clinicians, patients with OCD, and more theoretical considerations.

We then examine the current understanding of pathogenesis and pathophysiology from clinical, cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and genetic standpoints, as well as related studies in animal model systems. Finally, we review multiple forms of treatment, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, evidence-based pharmacotherapy, unproven but valuable approaches for refractory cases, and anatomically targeted interventions.

In the study and treatment of OCD, there is sometimes a perceived conflict between proponents of cognitive-behavioral interventions and a psychological understanding of the disorder on one hand, and the pharmacological and neurobiological understanding of its pathophysiology on the other. This is an artificial division. Psychological and biological understandings are different perspectives on the same fundamental construct: the human brain, in all its complexity, and the extraordinary richness of human experience and behavior it supports. Our understanding of their interaction remains incomplete. The project is further complicated by the bidirectional causal relationship between brain and behavior: brain changes affect behavior and cognition, while psychological phenomena, including social interactions and psychotherapy, can produce measurable neurobiological changes.

Due to these interacting complexities, unifying psychological and somatic perspectives can be challenging. We hope to facilitate understanding across different explanatory levels and scientific/clinical perspectives by addressing them side-by-side in this book. A project of this scope is only possible through the concerted efforts of many individuals. I thank the chapter authors for their contributions; their collective expertise made this book possible. I also thank you, the reader, for your time and patience.

• Author: Christopher Pittenger
• Translation: Dr. Mufid Najib Hawashin, Dr. Sami Saleh Al-Arjan, Dr. Murad Ali Saad
• Number of Pages: 968
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Binding Type: Hardcover
• Edition: First
• Print Color: Black and White
• Dimensions (cm): 17 x 24
• Weight (kg): 1.4
• Barcode: 9789957922368