Self-guided internet-delivered treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Short-term and long-term outcomes

Research Aims/Questions: Effective treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) exist; however, there are many barriers to accessing traditional face-to-face treatment. Internetdelivered cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) has the potential to reduce these barriers to treatment. There is now promising evidence supporting the efficacy of iCBT for OCD. To date, however, most iCBT programs are offered with weekly contact with a clinician and there is some anecdotal evidence that this contact may itself prevent some individuals with OCD from participating in iCBT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shortterm and long-term efficacy and acceptability of a self-guided iCBT program for individuals with symptoms of OCD.

Methodology: Twenty-eight adults were invited to participate in the OCD Course; a new 10 week self-guided iCBT treatment for adults with OCD. Participants completed symptom measures immediately post-treatment and again at 3- and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), which was administered via the internet in a self-report format.

Conclusion: Sixty-four percent of participants completed the OCD Course within the 10 weeks. Mixed-linear models analyses revealed large clinical changes in OCD symptoms at posttreatment (d=1.37), 3-month follow-up (d=1.17).