Frequency and Self-reported Outcomes of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the U.S. and Latin America

Introduction Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) affects about 1–2% of the global population, with roughly 30% of patients not responding to first-line treatments. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has some support for treatment-resistant OCD but global use is unclear. Methods This study describes the frequency with which TMS was reported to be received among a large cohort of individuals who self-identified as Latino-Hispanic in Latin America and the United States. Among 3391 participants, 76 (2.2%) had completed TMS for OCD. Results Recipients who received TMS exhibited more severe current and lifetime OCD symptoms compared to non-recipients. On average, participants underwent 22.61 TMS sessions (SD = 20.96), and self-reported experiencing minimal to some improvement from TMS. The majority of TMS recipients were from Brazil ( n = 26), Mexico ( n = 17) and USA ( n = 16). Conclusions Findings suggest that TMS does not appear to be widely used in OCD treatment among the Latino-Hispanic population, particularly in Latin American countries. Further study of TMS efficacy and dissemination in underserved regions is warranted.