title: Cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive thoughts: a controlled study.
abstract: Twenty-nine patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder as diagnosed in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., revised; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) who did not have overt compulsive rituals were randomly assigned to treatment and waiting-list conditions. Patients in the treatment condition received cognitive-behavioral therapy consisting of a detailed explanation of the occurrence and maintenance of obsessive thoughts, exposure to obsessive thoughts, response prevention of all neutralizing strategies, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention. Compared with waiting-list patients, treated patients improved significantly on measures of severity of obsessions, current functioning, self-report obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and anxiety. When waiting-list patients were subsequently treated, the combined group improved on all outcome measures. Treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Results indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of patients with obsessive thoughts, a group that has often been considered resistant to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Ecole de Psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Freeston
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ladouceur
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thibodeau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rhéaume
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Letarte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bujold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011897:Random Allocation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome