The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Center, formerly known as the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Research Center established in 2002, underwent a change in 2017 to become today’s name. Our center, primarily affiliated with the Clinical Psychology Department of the Shanghai Mental Health Center, is dedicated to advancing the standardized diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of OCD. Its goals include increasing public awareness, treatment rates, and clinical recovery rates of OCD, while reducing the recurrence rate. Currently, our center has developed an integrated treatment approach that primarily involves pharmacological and psychological therapies, complemented by physical therapies. It also conducts public education and social functional rehabilitation as part of its comprehensive treatment model.

Established in 1996 under the leadership of Professor Xiao Zeping, our center formed a research team focused on anxiety spectrum disorders, with a primary emphasis on OCD. The current head of the discipline is Dr. Wang Zhen, Chief Physician and Ph.D. supervisor. Dr. Wang has secured funding for 7 national natural science projects related to OCD, as well as more than 20 research projects at the municipal and university levels, addressing anxiety disorders and stress-related issues. He is currently leading a key project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation and spearheading 7 nationwide multi-center clinical studies or trials. Our team have published over 200 academic papers, including 15 articles in top-tier international journals, and achieved valuable outcomes. Notably, as early as 2003, our team proposed significant differences in the pathological mechanisms between OCD and anxiety disorders, predating changes in OCD diagnostic classification in DSM-5. The research conducted by our team spans clinical characteristics analysis of OCD, cognitive psychological testing, introduction of assessment tools, and clinical studies on pharmacological, psychological, and physical therapies, as well as neural modulation. Utilizing techniques such as neuroimaging, molecular genetics, electrophysiology, and neurobiochemistry, we actively explore the pathogenic mechanisms of OCD.

Currently, the OCD Treatment Center boasts a dedicated team of over 30 fixed treatment members and more than 10 short-term working or research staff. All permanent staff members have undergone specialized training in OCD-related expertise based on their respective job positions. Leveraging both domestic and international evidence-based practices along with their own research findings, the center conducts personalized treatments founded on multi-dimensional symptom analysis. Through inpatient or outpatient care, our center offers a range of therapeutic options beyond standardized pharmacological treatments. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBT), family therapy, and group therapy. For treatment-resistant patients, additional interventions such as physical therapies and deep brain stimulation surgery treatment are also provided. Our center's approach is tailored to individual needs and is based on a comprehensive understanding of OCD symptoms derived from evidence-based practices and their own research outcomes.

Since its establishment, the OCD Treatment Center has actively engaged in extensive domestic and international collaborations. Internationally, it has joined the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders International Academy (ICOCS) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Research Alliance ENIGMA-OCD. Domestically, the center has taken the lead in establishing the Shanghai OCD Diagnosis and Treatment Alliance, the Yangtze River Delta OCD Treatment Alliance, and the National OCD Treatment Alliance. Since 2019, our center has successfully organized five sessions of the OCD Summit Forum. It has played a key role as a primary drafting institution in formulating the Standards for the Construction of Chinese OCD Treatment Centers.

In the future, the OCD Treatment Center aims to deepen its understanding of and insight into OCD while delivering optimal clinical services. It is committed to closely monitoring international research frontiers, persisting in both basic and clinical research efforts. The ultimate goal is to elucidate the pathological mechanisms of OCD at an early stage and identify more effective treatment strategies tailored to the cultural context of China. The center remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of advancements in OCD research and contributing to the ongoing improvement of diagnosis and treatment approaches.