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Acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for scrupulosity in obsessive compulsive disorder
John P Dehlin1, Kate L Morrison, Michael P Twohig
1Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-2810, USA.
Behavior Modification
|February 14, 2013
Summary
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) significantly reduced obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and avoided activities in adults with scrupulosity. This therapy offers a promising, acceptable treatment for OCD, with lasting effects observed at follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by scrupulosity presents unique challenges in treatment.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that may be applicable to OCD.
- Evaluating ACT's efficacy for scrupulosity-based OCD is crucial for expanding treatment options.
Observation:
- Five adults with scrupulosity-based OCD participated in an eight-session ACT intervention.
- The study employed a multiple baseline across-participants design to assess treatment effects.
- Daily compulsions and avoidance of valued activities were meticulously monitored throughout the study.
Findings:
- Significant reductions in average daily compulsions were observed, decreasing from 25.0 at pretreatment to 5.6 posttreatment and 4.3 at follow-up.
- Average daily avoided valued activities decreased substantially from 6.0 pretreatment to 0.7 posttreatment and 0.5 at follow-up.
- Standardized measures indicated improvements across various psychological domains, with high treatment acceptability and minimal impact on religious faith.
Implications:
- ACT demonstrates potential as an effective treatment for scrupulosity-based OCD, even without in-session exposure.
- The findings suggest ACT can improve functioning and reduce symptom burden in individuals with this specific OCD subtype.
- Further research with larger samples is warranted to confirm ACT's efficacy and explore its mechanisms in OCD treatment.
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