Videoconferencing-delivered psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in low-resource settings: A pilot study...

Psychological treatments such as exposure and response prevention (ERP) or cognitive behavioral therapy are effective in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), either on their own or in combination with medications. However, very few patients receive ERP or cognitive behavioral therapy. Digital-delivered psychotherapy can surmount many obstacles associated with conventional psychotherapy, but there are very few trials of videoconferencing (VC) delivered ERP for OCD, particularly from low-resource settings.

To examine the VC-delivered ERP's feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and long-term outcomes and compare its efficacy with inpatient ERP.

This study compared VC ERP's pre- and post-intervention efficacy (n = 20) with a matched group of patients who had undergone inpatient ERP (n = 17). The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) scores rated the efficacy of ERP. The feasibility outcomes for VC-delivered ERP included the operational capacity, treatment utilization, treatment engagement, use of other services, and adverse events. Treatment satisfaction and preferences among users determined acceptability. Long-term follow-up determined whether patients were in remission based on the YBOCS scores and other criteria.

The sample had 97 patients with OCD. The patients had severe (YBOCS score 27) and chronic (6 years) OCD with psychiatric comorbidity (51%). The refusal rate for VC-ERP was 11%, and the dropout rate was 19%. VC-ERP failed in 29% with treatment-resistant OCD. The 20 patients who completed VC-ERP had 85% reductions in the YBOCS scores and recovered completely. The two groups did not differ in the change in YBOCS scores with the treatment. Gains from VC-ERP persisted for more than 2 years. The VC platform could deliver ERP despite the fluctuating network connectivity and variable patient motivation. The VC treatment improved access to ERP for many more patients. Users found VC-ERP acceptable and appreciated its advantages over inpatient ERP.

Despite its methodological limitations, this study suggests that VC-delivered ERP is feasible, acceptable, and as efficacious as in-person ERP for OCD in the resource-constrained settings of low- and middle-income countries.