title: Group versus individual cognitive treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Changes in severity at post-treatment and one-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very few studies have compared the efficacy of individual and group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) by taking into consideration the change in OCD severity in both the short and long term.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To conduct an open trial of individual versus group CBT for OCD, comparing the clinical and statistically significant changes in severity both at post-treatment and one year later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two OCD subjects were assigned to individual (n = 18) or group CBT (n = 24, in four groups). Sixteen and 22 subjects completed the treatment in the individual and group conditions, respectively. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was recorded at pre-treatment, post-treatment and at the one-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of treatment, the clinically significant change was comparable for the two treatment conditions and remained stable at the one-year follow-up. Of the 16 participants who completed the individual CBT treatment, 68.75% were classified as recovered at post-treatment, compared to 40.9% of those receiving group CBT. At follow-up the rate of recovery decreased to 62.5% in individual CBT and to 31.8% in group CBT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group CBT is effective in decreasing OCD severity. The post-treatment changes were maintained one year later. Nevertheless, these changes were higher in the individual delivery of CBT.
authors.affiliation: Agencia Valenciana de Salud, USM Foios, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabedo
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belloch
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrió
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fernández-Alvarez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome