Online versus in‐person delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: An examination of effectiveness

Abstract

AbstractCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention is the first‐line psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Given changes in the clinical landscape, there are increasing efforts to evaluate its effectiveness in online contexts. Mirroring the traditional in‐person delivery, few studies have assessed the role of therapist‐guided, manual‐based CBT for OCD delivered in real‐time via videoconferencing methods. The present study sought to fill this gap by comparing in‐person and online delivery of group‐based CBT for the treatment of OCD. A convenience sample of participants with moderate to severe OCD (n = 144) were recruited from a naturalistic database from two large OCD specialty assessment and treatment centres. Patients received group‐based CBT that was provided in‐person (pre‐COVID‐19 pandemic; March 2018 to March 2020) or online via videoconferencing (during the COVID‐19 pandemic; March 2020 to April 2021). In both delivery methods, treatment consisted of 2‐h weekly sessions led by trained clinicians. Analyses revealed that, regardless of treatment modality, both in‐person and online groups demonstrated significant, reliable, and statistically equivalent improvements in OCD symptoms post‐treatment. Videoconferenced, clinician‐led CBT may be a promising alternative to in‐person delivery for those with moderate to severe OCD symptoms.