A cognitive behavioral workshop for subclinical obsessions and compulsions

Abstract

The present study investigates the effectiveness of a 3-h cognitive behavioral workshop for individuals, ages 18–22, with subclinical obsessions and compulsions. It was hypothesized that, compared to individuals in an assessment-only waitlist group ( n = 4 2 ), individuals assigned to the workshop group ( n = 4 3 ) would experience a significant decrease in obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptomatology, comorbidity, and thought action fusion endorsement at 1-month and 5-month follow-up assessments. An additional outcome of interest was the number of incident cases of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) over the course of the study. The results indicated that the workshop group reported a significantly fewer number of OC symptoms at 5-month follow-up and endorsed significantly less thought action fusion at both follow-up points. However, there were no differences between groups in severity of OC symptoms and number of comorbid diagnoses endorsed. Only one incident case of OCD was observed during the study, from a participant in the waitlist group. These results are discussed in reference to treatment of subclinical anxiety symptoms.