Multifactorial Pathways To Enhanced Emotional Well-Being In Adults Diagnosed With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Integrative And Comprehensive Psychoanalytic-Behavioral Analysis

Abstract

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by distressing obsessions and compulsions, affecting 2-3% of the global population. Standard treatments, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), have shown efficacy in symptom management but often fail to address underlying emotional distress and unconscious conflicts that contribute to OCD's persistence. Consequently, there is a growing interest in integrative approaches that combine psychoanalytic and behavioral methods to provide a more holistic framework for treatment. This review examines the potential of integrative therapies to enhance emotional well-being, resilience, and self-acceptance by addressing both symptoms and the emotional complexities underlying OCD. Integrating psychoanalytic techniques with behavioral therapies can foster a deeper understanding of patients' emotional experiences, improving long-term outcomes by reducing self-blame, shame, and enhancing psychological flexibility. However, practical challenges such as the need for specialized therapist training, higher treatment costs, and resistance to integration among practitioners limit the feasibility and accessibility of these approaches. Future research should focus on developing standardized, shorter-term integrative models, digital adaptations, and culturally adapted frameworks to improve accessibility. By addressing these challenges, integrative treatments hold the potential to offer a more comprehensive, sustainable path to recovery, supporting both symptom relief and improved emotional well-being for individuals with OCD.