Jacoby RJ, Klare DL, Armstrong CH
… +3 more, Hoeppner SS, Lerner J, Wilhelm S
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2025 Jul · PMID 41789387
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In clinical settings, patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are generally risk-averse, especially in the context of uncertainty. However, the literature examining risk-taking in OCD is conflicting, and studie...In clinical settings, patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are generally risk-averse, especially in the context of uncertainty. However, the literature examining risk-taking in OCD is conflicting, and studies directly comparing risk-taking under conditions of high versus low ambiguity are scant. In the current study, 60 participants (30 OCD, 30 non-psychiatric controls) completed a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) in which they "pumped" a virtual balloon and earned five cents for each pump; however, if the balloon popped, they lost the money accumulated in that round. The task had two levels of ambiguity: the risk level of each balloon (i.e., likelihood of it exploding) was either visually displayed (low ambiguity) or unknown (high ambiguity). The outcome was the average number of pumps for balloons that did not explode, with higher scores indicating more risk-taking. There was a main effect of ambiguity, such that participants took more risks on the low ambiguity BART compared to the high ambiguity version. Contrary to hypotheses, there was no ambiguity level x diagnostic group interaction. Within the OCD group, however, intolerance of uncertainty, OCD symptom severity, trait anxiety, and depression severity were negatively associated with risk-taking. Without a clinical control group, we're unable to determine specificity of these effects to OCD. The within-subjects design may have contributed to carryover effects. Findings underscore the importance of symptom dimensional measurement beyond mere presence or absence of diagnosis when predicting risk-aversion in OCD.
Rast CE, Dibbs T, Pinciotti CM
… +9 more, Jagannathan N, Abramowitz JS, Kimmel MC, Musci R, Nestadt G, Nestadt P, Osborne LM, Samuels J, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2025 Apr · PMID 40831602
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Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has an increased prevalence throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum period relative to non-peripartum periods. While some obsessive-compulsive symptoms in this period present in the...Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has an increased prevalence throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum period relative to non-peripartum periods. While some obsessive-compulsive symptoms in this period present in the same manner to those in non-postpartum OCD, others are more specific to the postpartum period (e.g., obsessions related to sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]). However, there are few validated scales assessing obsessive-compulsive symptoms during the postpartum period. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Postpartum Thoughts and Behaviors Checklist (PTBC), a semi-structured interview of intrusive thoughts and repetitive, neutralizing behaviors developed to address this gap. In a sample of 257 women at 6 weeks postpartum, the PTBC demonstrated good internal consistency, criterion validity between individuals with a diagnosis of OCD and those without, and convergent validity with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Additionally, using a LCA approach, the PTBC demonstrated a 3-class structure of the thoughts and the behaviors subscales. Overall, these results provide psychometric evidence that the PTBC is reliable and valid and can be used to assess the prevalence and severity of postpartum obsessions and compulsions.
Snorrason I, Jaroszewski AC, Greenberg JL
… +8 more, Weingarden H, Summers BJ, Fang A, Hoeppner SS, Hollander E, Goodman WK, Phillips KA, Wilhelm S
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2024 Jul · PMID 39866242
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The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD-YBOCS) is a semi-structured interview designed to assess the severity of current BDD. The aim of the study was to examine the factor st...The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD-YBOCS) is a semi-structured interview designed to assess the severity of current BDD. The aim of the study was to examine the factor structure and construct validity of the BDD-YBOCS. The sample included 366 adults with BDD who completed the BDD-YBOCS and other measures of BDD severity/impairment, psychiatric distress (i.e., anxiety and depression) and quality of life. Exploratory factor analysis supported two factors that were weakly correlated with each other ( = .21): (1) Severity (i.e., time, distress, interference, and avoidance; 31.6% of the variance) and (2) Resistance/Control (i.e., reduced effort to resist symptoms and lack of control over symptoms; 16.7% of the variance). The Severity factor had good internal consistency ( = .82) and good construct validity ( = .69-.81 with BDD severity/impairment; =.38-.56 with depression and anxiety; and = .48-.53 with functional impairment and quality of life). The Resistance/Control factor had acceptable internal consistency ( = .74) but more limited construct validity ( = .27-.28 with BDD severity/impairment ( = .04-.20 with depression and anxiety and = .05-.14 with functional impairment and quality of life. Implications for the conceptualization and assessment of BDD severity are discussed.
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2024 Jul · PMID 40786838
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Sexual minority (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual) people are 9 times more likely than heterosexual people to be diagnosed with OCD. Cognitive models of OCD posit that obsessive beliefs drive clinical OCD symptoms, however,...Sexual minority (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual) people are 9 times more likely than heterosexual people to be diagnosed with OCD. Cognitive models of OCD posit that obsessive beliefs drive clinical OCD symptoms, however, obsessive beliefs have yet to be examined based on sexual orientation. Due to prior research identifying that sexual minority people are more likely to be diagnosed or treated for OCD and present with unique symptom profiles, elucidating underlying beliefs may partially explain why these disparities persist. Participants ( = 518) completed the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44) upon admission to a partial hospital/residential treatment program for OCD. The three largest sexual orientation groups were bisexual/pansexual ( = 47), gay/lesbian ( = 35), and heterosexual ( = 433). To examine differences, the OBQ-44's subdomains (perfectionism/certainty, responsibility for harm/threat, and importance/control of thoughts) were compared by sexual orientation. Results highlighted that perfectionism/certainty and harm/threat were significantly higher for bi+ compared to heterosexual participants, but not compared to gay/lesbian people, or between heterosexual and gay/lesbian people. This paper adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that the experience of bi+ individuals is different, and future research should identify the role of bi+ discrimination in the development of these core beliefs.
Jacoby RJ, Szkutak A, Shin J
… +2 more, Lerner J, Wilhelm S
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 38249753
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Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) present as risk-averse and avoidant of feared stimuli, yet the literature examining risk aversion in OCD is conflicting. One possible explanation is that patients may exh...Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) present as risk-averse and avoidant of feared stimuli, yet the literature examining risk aversion in OCD is conflicting. One possible explanation is that patients may exhibit aversion only on ambiguous tasks where the likelihood of possible outcomes is unknown. To test this idea, the current study assigned 30 patients with OCD versus 30 non-psychiatric controls (NPC) to conditions of known versus unknown risk (i.e., probabilities) on the Beads Task. Importantly, the task involved real financial stakes. We also examined self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU) as a mechanism. Results revealed a significant risk information x group interaction for certainty about the decision. Specifically, while NPCs felt significantly less certain on the unknown risk (versus known risk) task, the OCD group felt uncertain regardless of risk information. Results also revealed a significant main effect of group for distress after deciding, such that the OCD group was more distressed across all task versions compared to NPCs. Elevated trait IU was associated with higher task-related distress. Results indicate that even when patients with OCD are given information about likelihoods, they still feel uncertain and experience distress. Findings have clinical implications for addressing risk aversion and ambiguity/uncertainty in treatment.
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 38054078
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Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) can be delivered as monotherapy or to augment serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). While both options are considered effective OCD treatments, responses are heterogenous. Substan...Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) can be delivered as monotherapy or to augment serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). While both options are considered effective OCD treatments, responses are heterogenous. Substantial work has investigated EX/RP predictors to account for this variability in responses, with mixed findings. Little research has studied whether EX/RP predictors may differ in medicated versus non-medicated samples (i.e., medication status as a moderator). We pooled data from two clinical trials conducted concurrently in the same specialty OCD clinic. One enrolled patients who were on stable SRI doses (EX/RP as SRI augmentation, n=58) while the other enrolled non-medicated patients (EX/RP monotherapy, n=38). Both trials used the same manualized EX/RP protocol and blinded independent evaluators. LASSO regression derived predictors and moderators of outcome. Improvement did not significantly differ between the EX/RP alone group and the SRI+EX/RP group. In both groups, higher baseline OCD severity and worse quality of life predicted poorer outcome. OCPD traits moderated results: Patients with more severe OCPD traits had better outcomes from EX/RP monotherapy than those receiving EX/RP with SRIs. Patient adherence to EX/RP homework mediated the associations between the baseline variables and outcome. The effect of OCPD traits on outcome warrants future study to improve care.
Belanger AN, Timpano KR, Eng GK
… +2 more, Bragdon LB, Stern ER
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 37901053
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BACKGROUND: Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are at increased risk for suicide. One potential risk factor is interoceptive sensibility (IS), which is one's subjective experience of bodily sensations....BACKGROUND: Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are at increased risk for suicide. One potential risk factor is interoceptive sensibility (IS), which is one's subjective experience of bodily sensations. The current study examined the relationship between IS and current suicidal ideation and lifetime history of suicide attempt, controlling for relevant covariates. METHODS: Participants ( = 145) were a clinical sample of individuals with OCD from the New York City area. A clinical rater administered a diagnostic interview and an OCD severity assessment, and participants completed questionnaires about demographics, IS, and suicidality. RESULTS: Current suicidal ideation was associated with reduced trusting of the body, and lifetime history of suicide attempt was related to greater general awareness of sensation. These associations remained significant after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that specific facets of IS may be associated with specific domains of suicidality. Decreased body trusting may represent a feeling of disconnection from the body that facilitates desire for death. Increased noticing of bodily sensations may lead to greater mental pain, which could interact with deficits in emotion regulation to increase risk for suicide attempt. Further research on the relationships between IS and suicidality in OCD is warranted.
Badour CL, Tipsword JM, Jones AC
… +6 more, McCann JP, Fenlon EE, Brake CA, Alvarran S, Hood CO, Adams TG
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jan · PMID 37900357
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Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about...Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about how these disorders relate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether 1) OCD symptoms prospectively predicted daily symptoms of PTSD, and 2) OCD and PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted daily experiences of sexual trauma-related mental contamination (i.e., dirtiness in the absence of a physical pollutant). Forty-one women with a sexual trauma history completed baseline measures of OCD and PTSD, as well as twice-daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and mental contamination over a two-week period. Total OCD symptoms and the unacceptable thoughts dimension significantly predicted daily PTSD symptoms after accounting for other OCD dimensions. Only total OCD symptoms significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined together with total PTSD symptoms. No individual PTSD or OCD clusters/dimensions significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined simultaneously. Findings from this study highlight the nuanced associations among OCD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of mental contamination. Future research is needed to further understand the development of PTSD, OCD, and mental contamination over time to inform targets for intervention.
Cox RC, Knowles KA, Jessup SC
… +2 more, Adamis AM, Olatunji BO
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 37808900
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Despite growing interest in ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in psychopathology and clinical observation of day-to-day fluctuations in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, there is not a standardized EMA me...Despite growing interest in ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in psychopathology and clinical observation of day-to-day fluctuations in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, there is not a standardized EMA measure of such symptoms that can guide systematic research. In the absence of such a measure, prior EMA research in OCD has utilized heterogeneous approaches to sampling momentary and daily OCD symptoms, which limits the ability to compare results between studies. The present study sought to examine the psychometric properties of a daily OCD symptom (d-OCS) measure that assesses common OCD symptom themes (e.g., contamination, checking, intrusive thoughts) in a sample of adults with OCD ( = 20), psychiatric controls ( = 27), and healthy controls ( = 27). Participants completed the d-OCS 3 times per day for 1 week. The d-OCS distinguished those with OCD from psychiatric controls and healthy controls. The d-OCS demonstrated good internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability, and good convergent validity. These findings offer initial psychometric support for the use of the d-OCS in EMA research examining day-to-day fluctuations in symptoms of OCD. Additional investigation is needed to examine the discriminant validity of the d-OCS and generalize these findings to more diverse samples.
Pham MT, Campbell TA, Dorfman N
… +5 more, Torgerson L, Kostick-Quenet K, Blumenthal-Barby J, Storch EA, Lázaro-Muñoz G
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 37781644
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Approximately 10-20% of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have treatment-resistant presentations, and there is likely interest in developing interventions for this patient group, which may include deep br...Approximately 10-20% of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have treatment-resistant presentations, and there is likely interest in developing interventions for this patient group, which may include deep brain stimulation (DBS). The World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery has argued that at least two successful randomized controlled trials should be available before DBS treatment for a psychiatric disorder is considered "established." The FDA approved DBS for adults with treatment-resistant OCD under a humanitarian device exemption (HDE) in 2009, which requires that a device be used to manage or treat a condition impacting 8,000 or fewer patients annually in the United States. DBS is currently offered to children ages 7 and older with treatment-resistant dystonia under an HDE. Ethical and empirical work are needed to evaluate whether and under what conditions it might be appropriate to offer DBS for treatment-resistant childhood OCD. To address this gap, we report qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 25 clinicians with expertise in this area. First, we report clinician perspectives on acceptable levels of evidence to offer DBS in this patient population. Second, we describe their perspectives on institutional policies or protocols that might be needed to effectively provide care for this patient population.
Armstrong GM, Greenberg RL, Smárason O
… +6 more, Frederick RM, Guzick AG, Schneider SC, Spencer SD, Cervin M, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Oct · PMID 37692107
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Misophonia is an often chronic condition characterized by strong, unpleasant emotional reactions when exposed to specific auditory or visual triggers. While not currently defined within existing classification systems, a...Misophonia is an often chronic condition characterized by strong, unpleasant emotional reactions when exposed to specific auditory or visual triggers. While not currently defined within existing classification systems, and not clearly fitting within the framework of extant psychiatric conditions, misophonia has historically been studied most frequently within the context of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms are common in misophonia, but specific factors that confer risk for these symptoms remain unknown. The present cross-sectional study examined whether sensory sensitivity and cognitive emotion regulation facets are associated with co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 102 youth with misophonia aged 8-17 years ( = 69). Participants completed self-report assessments of misophonia severity, sensory sensitivity, cognitive emotion regulation, and emotional-behavioral functioning. In the final model, controlling for all variables, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that sensory sensitivity and age were significant predictors of internalizing symptoms, while sensory sensitivity and the other-blame cognitive emotion regulation facet were significant predictors of externalizing symptoms. Further, findings demonstrated that the positive reappraisal cognitive emotion regulation facet moderated the effect of misophonia severity on internalizing symptoms. Results highlight a strong, consistent relation between sensory sensitivities (beyond sound sensitivity) and psychiatric symptoms in misophonic youth. Further research is necessary to determine mechanisms and clinical variables impacting internalizing and externalizing symptoms within youth with misophonia.
Oluyomi AO, Schneider SC, Christian C
… +4 more, Alvarez JM, Smárason O, Goodman WK, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37614722
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an impairing psychiatric condition affecting 1-2% of adults and youth. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention (CBT) is an efficacious intervention but requires...Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an impairing psychiatric condition affecting 1-2% of adults and youth. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention (CBT) is an efficacious intervention but requires specialty training and access is often limited. While certain factors are associated with treatment access, one key barrier that has not been explored is the geographic availability of OCD treatment providers. Using integrated geographically-referenced data, we examined the geographic distribution of OCD CBT specialty providers across the state of Texas, with particular attention to the relationship to neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, insurance status, and rural versus urban status. We found that specialist providers are almost exclusively located inside the highly urbanized parts of the state, primarily in more affluent areas, and often only accept self-pay. The characteristics of the areas located the furthest away from specialty OCD care include a high proportion of persons identifying as Hispanic; a high proportion of non-English speakers, households with income below poverty; households with no vehicles; and persons with no health insurance. Average household income decreased as distances from specialist providers increased. Broadly, findings confirm that OCD CBT specialty providers are clustered in large socially advantaged areas and that economic disadvantage remains a significant barrier to care. As inadequate or inappropriate treatment of OCD is likely to result in sustained and impairing symptoms, this is of great concern.
Fan Y, Eisen JL, Rasmussen SA
… +1 more, Boisseau CL
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37547666
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BACKGROUND: Although it has been widely established that poor social functioning is a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), little research has examined the relationship between OCD symptom subtypes and...BACKGROUND: Although it has been widely established that poor social functioning is a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), little research has examined the relationship between OCD symptom subtypes and domains of social functioning. Thus, the present study sought to examine the specific ways in which impairment in social adjustment occurs in each symptom subtype of OCD. METHODS: A total of 325 adult participants with a primary diagnosis of OCD were included in the study. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to compare the extent to which OCD symptom subtypes predicted social adjustment domains after controlling for OCD and depression severity. RESULTS: Hoarding was shown to be significantly associated with work functioning. Whereas both contamination and symmetry subtypes were significantly associated with social functioning, only the contamination subtype was associated with functioning within the family unit. The symptom subtypes of doubt and taboo thoughts were not significantly associated with any domains of social adjustment. CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous research, our results suggest a differential impact of OCD symptom subtypes on social adjustment. They offer important implications for the specific domains to target in treatment for different symptom subtypes.
Riddle DB, Guzick A, Minhajuddin A
… +13 more, Smárason O, Armstrong GM, Slater H, Mayes TL, Goodman LC, Baughn DL, Martin SL, Wakefield SM, Blader J, Brown R, Goodman WK, Trivedi MH, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37521713
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders are highly comorbid, and each contribute to significant functional impairment for affected youth. Comorbid anxiety disorders in depressed y...Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders are highly comorbid, and each contribute to significant functional impairment for affected youth. Comorbid anxiety disorders in depressed youth have been associated with greater depressive symptom severity and impairment, but the impact of comorbid OCD in this population remains unclear. Accordingly, the present study examined the differential clinical characteristics of youth with depression and comorbid OCD relative to age/gender matched depressed youth with no such comorbidity and to those with depression and a comorbid (non-OCD) anxiety disorder. A sample of 797 youth and young adults ages 8-20 years who met diagnostic criteria for depression alone, depression with co-occurring OCD or any anxiety disorder were included in the present study. Rates of comorbid anxiety and OCD were very high (60.5% and 15.5%, respectively). Relative to youth with only depression, depressed youth with comorbid OCD or anxiety had greater severity of depression, suicidality, and overall impairment in social, physical, and emotional functioning. These results highlight the contribution of OCD or anxiety comorbidity in more complex clinical presentations for depressed youth.
Bragdon LB, Nota JA, Eng GK
… +4 more, Recchia N, Kravets P, Collins KA, Stern ER
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37521712
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Many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) report sensory-based urges (e.g. 'not-just-right experiences') in addition to, or instead of, concrete fear-based obsessions. These sensations may be comparable t...Many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) report sensory-based urges (e.g. 'not-just-right experiences') in addition to, or instead of, concrete fear-based obsessions. These sensations may be comparable to normative "urges-for-action" (UFA), such as the urge to blink. While research has identified altered functioning of brain regions related to UFA in OCD, little is known about behavioral patterns of urge suppression in the disorder. Using an urge-to-blink task as a model for sensory-based urges, this study compared failures of urge suppression between OCD patients and controls by measuring eyeblinks during 60-second blocks of instructed blink suppression. Cox shared frailty models estimated the hazard of first blinks during each 60-second block and recurrent blinks following each initial erroneous blink. OCD patients demonstrated a higher hazard of first and recurrent blinks compared to controls, suggesting greater difficulty resisting repetitive sensory-based urges. Within OCD, relationships between task outcomes and symptom severity were inconsistent. Findings provide support for a deficit in delaying initial urge-induced actions and terminating subsequent actions in OCD, which is not clearly related to clinical heterogeneity. Elucidating the nature of behavioral resistance to urges is relevant for informing conceptualizations of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology and optimizing treatment outcomes.
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37485310
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Nonclinical hair-pulling is much more prevalent than hair pulling associated with a diagnosis of trichotillomania (TTM). However, little is known about nonclinical pulling. The purpose of this exploratory research was to...Nonclinical hair-pulling is much more prevalent than hair pulling associated with a diagnosis of trichotillomania (TTM). However, little is known about nonclinical pulling. The purpose of this exploratory research was to begin characterizing a subset of nonclinical hair pullers we refer to as "untroubled pullers," people who engage in recurrent, noncosmetic hair-pulling without associated distress or impairment. In a secondary analysis of two studies conducted online, untroubled pullers reported significantly lower symptom severity than did those diagnosed with TTM. The Big Five personality dimensions did not differentiate the groups in Study 1, but untroubled pullers endorsed significantly less disability, focused and automatic pulling, social anxiety, perceived risk in intimacy, and perfectionism in Study 2. These findings remained significant after controlling for symptom severity. Age and race resulted in mixed findings between the two studies, but no differences arose in other demographics. These findings suggest that symptom severity may not sufficiently explain differences in associated distress and impairment. Future studies are needed on how other constructs related to distress and impairment interact with hair-pulling behavior to provide insight into when pulling is associated with clinically significant distress or impairment.
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Jul · PMID 37293372
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A pandemic outbreak can lead to excessive, maladaptive levels of anxiety, particularly among individuals who already suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provided a nov...A pandemic outbreak can lead to excessive, maladaptive levels of anxiety, particularly among individuals who already suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provided a novel opportunity to examine the possibility that individuals with OCD, compared to those without OCD, might experience greater distress from this common stressor. The present study examined the lasting effects of COVID-19 in the year after the outbreak. Additionally, there is limited research regarding the stability of OCD dimensions; therefore, this study examined whether the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the stability of OCD dimensions. One hundred and forty-three adults who reported they had been diagnosed with OCD and ninety-eight adults without OCD, completed an online survey assessing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on symptoms of OCD in the year after the initial outbreak. The OCD group showed greater concern about the pandemic and greater concern about future pandemics compared to the comparison group. In addition, COVID-19 related distress differentially related to OCD symptoms dimensions, showing the strongest association with the contamination dimension. Lastly, results showed that many individuals reported that their OCD dimension shifted to obsessions about COVID-19 from their pre-existing OCD dimension.
Spencer SD, Stiede JT, Wiese AD
… +4 more, Guzick AG, Cervin M, McKay D, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Apr · PMID 37193037
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The past four decades have yielded a robust body of evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a gold-standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across the...The past four decades have yielded a robust body of evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a gold-standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across the lifespan. Exposure and response prevention (E/RP) has been identified as a key component of this approach. Despite robust research support for CBT with E/RP, several myths and misconceptions continue to proliferate in both research and practice settings. Such myths and misconceptions are concerning, as they lack empirical basis, may hinder widespread dissemination and implementation of CBT for OCD, and run contrary to the practice of evidence-based psychological medicine. Focusing on the importance of promoting evidence-based practice and generative clinical science, the present review article synthesizes relevant research within the field of treatments for OCD to address the following myths / misconceptions: (a) uncertainty exists concerning the evidence base supporting CBT for OCD, (b) E/RP attrition and dropout rates are unacceptably high due to excessive risk and perceived patient intolerability, and (c) alternative treatments for OCD need to be expeditiously developed due to major limitations of E/RP. Recommendations for future research and clinical dissemination and implementation to further advance a generative clinical science of OCD treatment are discussed.
Guzick AG, Schneider SC, Perozo Garcia AB
… +8 more, Kook M, Greenberg RL, Riddle D, McNeel M, Rodriguez-Barajas S, Yang M, Upshaw B, Storch EA
J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord
· 2023 Apr · PMID 36908861
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Cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD has a strong evidence base, but few have access. A 12-week family-based, Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for...Cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD has a strong evidence base, but few have access. A 12-week family-based, Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for 7-15 year-old autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD was developed as a potential method to address this problem. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from stakeholders (parents, youth, clinicians) was gathered on an initial draft of content before conducting a pilot trial. This feedback suggested high quality, engagement, usability, and informativeness of the material. Suggestions were incorporated into the treatment program that was tested in a pilot trial. Eight families were randomized to the iCBT program with either 1) weekly email support or 2) weekly email support plus biweekly telehealth check-ins, and seven of these families completed pre- and post-treatment assessments. An average reduction of 39% in anxiety severity was found, with six of the seven being classified as responders. Preliminary evidence suggests that family-based iCBT is an acceptable and promising treatment for autistic youth with anxiety and/or obsessive-compulsive disorders that should be further modified and tested in future work.