Individual versus group cognitive-behavioral treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a controlled pilot study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a primary treatment for OCD.
• The comparative effectiveness of group versus individual CBT for OCD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of individual and group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• To evaluate the impact of CBT on anxiety and depressive symptoms in OCD patients.
• To compare CBT outcomes against a wait-list control group.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-seven individuals diagnosed with OCD were recruited.
• Participants received either individual CBT, group CBT, or were on a wait-list.
• Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression pre- and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Both individual and group CBT led to significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms.
• Individual CBT resulted in a greater reduction in OCD symptoms compared to group CBT.
• Patients with symmetry and order rituals showed less improvement in anxiety symptoms.
• CBT participants experienced greater reductions in general symptoms than the wait-list control group.
• Individual CBT had a higher dropout rate than group CBT.

Conclusions:

• Individual CBT is more effective than group CBT for reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms in OCD patients.
• Both treatment modalities offer significant benefits for anxiety and depression associated with OCD.
• Treatment choice may depend on symptom presentation and patient adherence, considering the higher dropout rate in individual therapy.