Family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Family accommodation might play a crucial role in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Previous systematic reviews on family accommodation in OCD have focused on specific populations or variables or are outdated. We conducted a preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis on family accommodation in adults, children, and adolescents with OCD (CRD42021264461). We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using the keywords "family accommodation" and "obsessive-compulsive disorder. One hundred-eight studies involving 8,928 individuals with OCD were included. Our results indicate that levels of family accommodation in OCD are moderate, that there is a significant positive correlation between family accommodation and OCD severity (r = 0.42), that baseline family accommodation does not predict pre- to post-treatment change in OCD severity (g = -0.03), and that family accommodation decreases as a result of both individual and family-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD (g = 2.00 and g = 1.17, respectively). Our findings highlight the relevance of family accommodation in OCD and may help guide assessment and treatment.