P02-376 - Family therapy in iran: An OCD case study

Abstract

Iranian clinical psychologists have devised family therapy methods, based on cognitive behavioral models, fitting their collectivist, Islamic culture. We review Islamic-based strategies and describe family therapy in a culturally-specific childhood OCD case. In %80 of adults diagnosed with OCD, obsession is observed to have started in childhood and adolescence. Studies showed that cognitive-behaviour therapy, although efficient in treatment of OCD, fails in the case of children, due to their limited cognitive ability and their lower level of development. On the other hand, since children's response to medication cannot be anticipated, and because of the side-effects and the probability of recurrence after termination of medication, parents do not agree to medical treatment for their children. The purpose the present research was therefore designed to investigate the efficiency of family therapy based on cognitive behavioral approach in treatment of OCD case. The family therapy techniques used in this study are encounter, self-reporting, relaxation, modeling, and positive thinking. The OCD client was studied and exposed to the method. The results showed that the family therapy method using integrated, religious-based cognitive behavioral therapy, seems more appropriate for clients from collectivist, religious cultures. The final part of the research discusses the findings in relation to those of the previous studies.