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Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Exposure Response Prevention for
S K K Nielsen1,2, A C Stuart1, C Winding2
1Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
|February 23, 2025
Summary
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure response prevention (ERP) for treating obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This study found ACT to be a viable alternative for adults with OCD in outpatient settings.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard treatment for OCD.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) shows promise for OCD treatment but has not been directly compared to CBT/ERP in a randomized controlled trial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of group-based ACT and CBT/ERP for adults with OCD.
- To determine if ACT is non-inferior to CBT/ERP in reducing OCD symptoms.
- To assess the impact of both therapies on patients' quality of life.
Main Methods:
- A single-blinded, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 176 adult patients with OCD.
- Participants were assigned to 14 weekly sessions of either ACT (n=101) or CBT/ERP (n=75).
- Primary outcome: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores; Secondary outcome: Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) scores.
Main Results:
- ACT was found to be non-inferior to CBT/ERP in reducing Y-BOCS scores at post-treatment and at 6 and 12 months follow-up.
- No significant differences in Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) scores were observed between the ACT and CBT/ERP groups.
- Both treatments demonstrated effectiveness in managing OCD symptoms and improving quality of life.
Conclusions:
- Group-delivered ACT is a non-inferior treatment option to CBT/ERP for adults with OCD in outpatient mental health services.
- ACT offers a viable alternative for OCD treatment, potentially increasing access to effective care.
- Further research is recommended to replicate these findings and explore long-term outcomes.
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