Evaluation of the combined effect of aripiprazole and sertraline in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescents

Background and Aim: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric condition affecting 2-4% of adolescents. Due to the high prevalence of this disorder and the limited, sometimes contradictory studies on its treatment, especially in resistant cases, this research aimed to assess the combined effect of aripiprazole and sertraline and compare it with the effect of sertraline alone. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on adolescents diagnosed with OCD who attended psychiatric clinics in Kashan. Diagnosis was based on the clinical assessment of a psychiatrist and DSM criteria. The study lasted for 12 weeks, with patients randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups using block randomization. The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale) for children and adolescents was administered to all patients at baseline, and at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Treatment response was evaluated by the change in Y-BOCS scores from baseline to the end of the study and by comparing the two treatment groups. Results: The study involved 40 patients (20 per group). The mean age in the aripiprazole + sertraline group was 14.75 ± 1.29 years, and in the sertraline-only group was 15.10 ± 1.59 years. Both groups were homogeneous in terms of age and gender. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant reduction in total Y-BOCS scores in both groups (P<0.001, F=193.53). Additionally, the rate of score reduction over time was greater in the intervention group (aripiprazole + sertraline) (P<0.001, F=37.92). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in final Y-BOCS scores (P=0.17, F=1.94), indicating similar effects of both treatments. The results for obsessive thoughts followed a similar pattern, while a significant difference was observed between the two groups for compulsive behaviors. Conclusion: Adding aripiprazole to sertraline in the treatment of adolescent OCD significantly improved the reduction of compulsive behaviors. However, no significant difference in the reduction of obsessive thoughts was found between the combined treatment and sertraline alone.