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Does Imagined Exposure to the Consequences of Not Ritualising Enhance Live Exposure for OCD? a Controlled Study

II. Effect on Behavioural v. Subjective Concordance of Improvement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

L. M. Ito ,
I. M. Marks ,
L. A. De Araujo  and
D. Hemsley
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Extract

Background

This study tested whether adding imagined exposure to live exposure would increase the concordance between behavioural and subjective improvement in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method

46 OCD out-patients were randomly allocated to 9 weekly sessions of either combined live + imagined exposure/ritual prevention (Exi, n = 23), or only live exposure/ritual prevention (Ex, n = 23). Patients were asked to do 90 min of daily self-exposure at home (corresponding to Exi or Ex). Measures were: (A) behavioural; (B) subjective; (C) clinical global impression (CGI).

Results

After 9 weeks of treatment, improvement was greater on behavioural than subjective measures (similar for the Exi and Ex groups). At 20 weeks (3-month follow-up) each group had improved slightly more on subjective measures and slightly less on behavioural ones. Two subjective measures improved less during Exi than Ex, but this difference disappeared at follow-up. The greater difference between behavioural and subjective improvement scores in Exi than in Ex did not relate to clinical outcome at the end of treatment or follow-up.

Conclusions

Compared to live exposure alone, combined imagined plus live exposure did not enhance behavioural/subjective concordance.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 1 , July 1995 , pp. 71 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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