Controlled trial of exposure and response prevention in obsessive–compulsive disorder

作者：Merran Lindsay, Rocco Crino, Gavin Andrews · 发表于：The British Journal of Psychiatry · 年份：1997 · DOI：10.1192/bjp.171.2.135 · 被引用次数：244 · 研究领域：Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders、Personality Disorders and Psychopathology、Gambling Behavior and Treatments

BACKGROUND: Exposure and response prevention is considered a treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Yet there have been very few randomised controlled trials employing credible placebo conditions. This study compares exposure and response prevention with a general anxiety management intervention. METHOD: Eighteen patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for OCD were randomly assigned to either exposure and response prevention or anxiety management. Both treatments involved approximately 15 hours of therapy over a three-week period. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptoms following treatment with exposure and response prevention, while no change occurred in the control group. This was found to be statistically significant using a composite measure of OCD symptom severity, patient ratings of interference and therapist ratings of symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the symptom reductions associated with behaviour therapy for OCD are a result of the specific techniques of exposure and response prevention, rather than non-specific aspects of the therapy process. General anxiety management techniques are not effective in the treatment of OCD.