Internet-based CBT May Help OCD Symptoms

For many people living in rural or remote areas, it is difficult to access mental health professionals  such as clinical psychologists who are experts in the delivery of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for OCD.  As such, on-line treatments that can be accessed via the internet are being developed.  A recent study in the journal BMC Psychiatry sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an internet-based CBT program for OCD.  Participants enrolled in the study received a 15-week ICBT program with therapist support consisting of psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring and exposure with response prevention.  At completion of the study, over 60% of participants had a clinically significant improvement and 43% no longer fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of OCD . The treatment also resulted in statistically significant improvements in self-rated OCD symptoms, general functioning and depression.  Although the number of people enrolled in the study was small and a control group was not employed, the results of this investigation are promising and build on a growing literature suggesting that CBT can be delivered effectively via the internet.