[A standardized cognitive-behavioural group treatment program for obsessive compulsive disorder: preliminary...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioural Science

Background:

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a recognized treatment for OCD.
• Group therapy offers a potentially accessible and cost-effective delivery method for CBT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a 12-week cognitive behavioural group therapy program for OCD.
• To assess symptom reduction and maintenance of gains at 6-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

• Twenty outpatients with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD participated.
• The program involved 12 weekly 3-hour sessions combining cognitive and behavioural techniques.
• Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ).

Main Results:

• Significant reductions were observed in YBOCS scores and obsessive beliefs (OBQ) post-treatment.
• No significant changes were found in Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories immediately post-treatment.
• Most patients maintained treatment gains at 6-month follow-up, including for YBOCS and target symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive behavioural group therapy is an effective treatment for reducing OCD symptom severity.
• The therapy demonstrates utility in improving obsessive beliefs and maintaining symptom reduction long-term.
• While immediate effects on anxiety and depression were limited, anxiety levels showed improvement at 6-month follow-up.