Influence of study characteristics, methodological rigour and publication bias on efficacy of pharmacotherapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials.

Question: We examined the effect of study characteristics, risk of bias and publication bias on the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Study Selection And Analysis: We conducted a systematic search of double-blinded, placebo-controlled, short-term RCTs with selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or clomipramine. We performed a random-effect meta-analysis using change in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) as the primary outcome.