Waitlist-Control Trial of Smartphone CBT for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Massachusetts General Hospital

Overview

The investigators are testing the efficacy of Smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving app-CBT will have greater improvement in Y-BOCS scores than those in the waitlist condition at treatment endpoint (week 12).

The primary aims of this study are to test the efficacy of a Smartphone-based CBT treatment for adults with OCD recruited nationally. Eligible subjects (N=58) will be randomly assigned to 12 weeks of Smartphone-delivered CBT for OCD either immediately, or after a 12-week long waiting period (50-50 chance). The investigators hypothesize that Smartphone-delivered CBT for OCD will be feasible and acceptable to individuals with OCD, and that it will lead to greater reductions in OCD symptom severity compared to the passage of time (waitlist control).

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Interventions

Smartphone-delivered CBT for OCDDEVICE

12-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for OCD. In-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for OCD. The app-delivered CBT in this project includes modules such as cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, core belief work), behavioral skills (e.g., exposure with ritual prevention), and perceptual retraining/mindfulness skills.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * at least 18 years of age * current diagnosis of primary DSM-5 OCD, based on MINI * currently living in the United States Exclusion Criteria: * Psychotropic medication changes within 2 months prior to enrollment (Participants taking psychotropic medication must have been on a stable dose for at least 2 months prior to enrollment and not change medication during study period) * Past participation in ≥ 4 sessions of CBT for OCD * Current severe substance use disorder * Lifetime bipolar disorder or psychosis * Acute, active suicidal ideation as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a score ≥ 2 on the suicidal ideation subscale of the C-SSRS * Current severe comorbid major depression, as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a QIDS-SR total score ≥ 21 * Concurrent psychological treatment * Does not own a supported mobile Smartphone with a data plan * Lack of technology literacy that would interfere with ability to engage with smartphone treatment

Locations (1)

Anna Schwartzberg

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Difference in OCD severity (Y-BOCS) at the end of treatment/waitlist period.

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is the gold-standard, semi-structured clinician-administered assessment of OCD severity. It contains 10 items ranging from 0 to 4, which are summed to generate a total score (range = 0-40). Higher scores indicate more severe OCD symptoms. The Y-BOCS will be used to assess change in OCD symptoms from baseline to endpoint.

Time frame: Endpoint (week 12)

Secondary Outcomes

Difference in depression at the end of treatment/waitlist period

Participants who receive app-CBT will have greater improvement on depression (QIDS-SR). The QIDS-SR is a self-report measure of depressive symptoms consisting of 16 scale items with responses ranging from 0 to 3, including one suicide item (item #12). Higher scores correspond with greater depression severity, and the measure is a well-validated, sensitive measure of symptom severity in depression.

Time frame: Endpoint (week 12)

Difference in functional impairment at the end of treatment/waitlist period

Participants who receive app-CBT will have greater improvement on functional impairment (SDS). The SDS uses a Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (extremely) to assess impairment in occupational, social, and family domains. Higher scores indicate greater impairment.

Time frame: Endpoint (week 12)

Difference in quality of life at the end of treatment/waitlist period

Participants who receive app-CBT will have greater improvement on quality of life, assessed using The Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form (Q-LES-Q). The Q-LES-Q-SF is a self-report measure of subjective quality of life, containing Likert items ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 5 (Very Good). Total scores are presented as a percentage of the maximum value (i.e., ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater quality of life).

Time frame: Endpoint (week 12)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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