Social media as an effective therapeutic tool for addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case study

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic but very treatable medical condition. Adhering to the therapy plan is considered one of the biggest challenges for OCD patients, especially when communities are insecure due to armed conflicts and political upheavals. This paper documents the results of using social media platforms (especially Facebook Messenger, which provides free internet access) to manage the symptoms of a young female with chronic OCD. The results suggest that social media can be a potentially effective therapeutic tool, mainly in situations where armed conflicts, displacement and insecurity are present and where more traditional customs and conservative norms are sometimes reinforced as a protective mechanism, particularly for women who may be prevented from following the classic person-to-person consultation protocol. Social media, when used skilfully and properly protected, may help overcome the multiple cultural and social barriers that prevent the application of the more traditional treatment protocol. .