Cognitive therapy for compulsive checking in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot trial.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Compulsive checking is a common and distressing symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Existing treatments may not be effective for all individuals experiencing compulsive checking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, empirically-based cognitive therapy for compulsive checking.
• To assess the efficacy and acceptability of this new cognitive approach in a pilot trial.

Main Methods:

• Twelve adults diagnosed with compulsive checking OCD participated in 12 therapy sessions.
• Symptom severity and treatment acceptability were measured pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in checking-related symptoms were observed from pre-treatment to post-treatment.
• These symptom reductions were maintained at the 6-month follow-up, with moderate to large effect sizes.
• Participants reported high acceptability of the therapy, which remained consistent throughout the study.

Conclusions:

• The novel cognitive therapy shows preliminary efficacy in reducing compulsive checking symptoms in adults with OCD.
• The treatment was well-accepted by participants, suggesting feasibility for clinical application.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings.