Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus Motivational Interviewing for Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating anxiety disorder. People
with OCD often experience recurrent unwanted thoughts, or obsessions. Some examples of
obsessions include the following: repetitive fears of causing harm or being harmed; fears of
contamination and illness; fears of making mistakes; intrusive distressing sexual or
religious imagery; and fears of losing things. In an effort to relieve anxiety about these
obsessions, people with OCD develop repetitive behaviors called compulsions. Some examples
of compulsions include the following: repetitive washing and cleaning; excessive checking;
excessive ordering and arranging; and extreme hoarding and saving. These thoughts and
behaviors interfere with everyday life to a great extent. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)
with exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP) is a standard treatment for OCD. EX/RP involves
both imaginary and real exposure to situations or settings that may stimulate OCD behavior,
and it requires that patients refrain from ritualizing. Motivational interviewing (MI) may
help to enhance an individual's motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.
This study will determine the effectiveness of adding MI to CBT that consists of EX/RP in
improving treatment outcome in people with OCD.

Participants in this single-blind study will be randomly assigned to receive either standard
CBT with EX/RP or CBT with EX/RP plus MI. All participants will report to the study site
twice weekly for both therapy and assessments for a total of 2 months. Assessments will
include interviews and self-rating forms. No medication will be administered during this
study. However, participants will continue on any medication that they are taking at the
time of study entry. All participants will be assessed for outcomes upon study completion.
Participants who respond to therapy will be assessed again 6 months following study
completion.