Dissolving the tenacity of obsessional doubt: implications for treatment outcome

Previous research has found that a high impact of possibility based information during reasoning prevents the resolution of doubt among those with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It was expected that the ability of those with OCD to resolve obsessional doubt would improve following Inference Based Treatment (IBT).

The ability to resolve doubt, including the relative impact of reality and possibility based information, was measured before and after treatment with the Inference Processes Task in a group of 35 participants diagnosed with OCD.

Results confirmed that IBT improved the participants' ability to resolve obsessional doubt. Those who improved their ability to resolve doubt showed a significantly better treatment outcome. Improvements appeared mostly due to a lowered impact of possibility based information following treatment.

The study did not include a control condition although results clearly indicate that the ability to resolve obsessional is closely linked to the most relevant quantifiers of treatment outcome. In addition, relatively small sample sizes prevented more powerful multiple comparisons between groups.

Results suggest treatment implications and the relevance of dissolving the tenacity of obsessional doubt in OCD.