Research

A study by researchers (Miller, Chu, Gollan and Gossett) at the Northwestern University in Chicago (US) have reported that that 11% of women who have recently given birth have a much higher rate of OCD symptoms compared with 2% to 3% of the general population.

“It may be that certain kinds of obsessions and compulsions are adaptive and appropriate for a new parent, for example those about cleanliness and hygiene,” said senior author Dr Dana Gossett, “But when it interferes with normal day-to-day functioning and appropriate care for the baby and parent, it becomes maladaptive and pathologic.”

Last night, Inside Out West Midlands and East Midlands broadcast a feature about pioneering new Tourette's research taking place at the University of Nottingham, and it can be viewed online via BBC iPlayer for the next week.

The research hopes to offer new hope for Young people with Tourette's Syndrome as a result of the pioneering work by Professor Stephen Jackson and his team at the University of Nottingham.

Because of the overlaps between OCD and Tourette's, where often a person with Tourette's may have co-morbid OCD symptoms, OCD-UK have been invited to participate in helping the researchers during the coming months.

OCD-UK have today learned that a new NHS national treatment centre offering specialist treatment for OCD is due to open in the South West of England early next year.

We have been concerned for some time by the fact that there are very few NHS centres which can offer specialist treatment for OCD beyond the M25 circular, and as an organisation we have been actively supporting efforts to extend the availability of high quality treatment in the NHS outside of the Greater London area. We previously supported efforts to establish an OCD service in Liverpool, although this service was not commissioned.

We are therefore delighted to learn that the University of Bath and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust are about to open a new Assessment, Treatment, Training and Research Centre which will provide, both a regional and a national clinic offering expert and highly specialist services for a range of psychological problems, particularly OCD and related problems. The provisional name for this new service is the Centre for Specialist Psychological Treatments of Anxiety and Related Problems (CSPTARP) and the Clinical Director will be Professor Paul Salkovskis (pictured), who is a long-standing supporter and patron of OCD-UK. We also understand that the centre will probably be based in South Bristol with a possible satellite centre in Swindon, and will begin accepting NHS referrals early in 2013.

OCD-UK are conducting an independent review to capture people’s experiences of trying to access psychological therapy for the treatment of OCD through the NHS, and we are asking for your help with this review. This is just a reminder that if you have tried to access OCD treatment through the NHS during 2012, please do take the time to complete our survey over the next few days if you have not already done so.

Despite the introduction of the IAPT programme, OCD-UK remain concerned that in England the quality of treatment, and access to treatment for OCD is not improving at the rate it was promised. We also know from feedback from people in other parts of the UK that the treatment provision is even bleaker. This conclusion has come from listening to our members, be that through email, on our forums, or just by listening to those that call us on a daily basis. However, we are conscious that we need to research whether our conclusion is accurate or not and get some data to support or refute our conclusion.

We very much hope that through the project's duration, the evidence highlights improvements in treatment provision for OCD.   The results we capture through the project will be made available to the NHS and the Dept of Health to help guide them towards further improvements where necessary.

Please click the read more link to see if you are eligible to help us with this valuable research. Thank you.

The research project is called ‘Seeking help and receiving appropriate treatment for OCD’. It aims to identify the factors which encourage people with OCD to seek treatment, and the barriers to seeking help. It also examines whether people are offered appropriate treatment when they do seek help. Karen Robinson would like to invite you to take part.

Amy Przeworski and Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are conducting two online studies about the relationships of individuals with OCD or hoarding. Each study involves completing questionnaires online about relationships, emotions, OCD, and hoarding. You must be at least 18 to participate.

Those who participate may enter into a raffle for a Target gift card (not sure if these can be used by us in the UK). The information gathered from this study may help to improve therapies for OCD and hoarding.