ASSYST-Individual Adapted for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

Clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms pose a challenge for psychotherapists. Current evidence-based treatments have limitations in efficacy and client retention. This article reports on 17 cases treated with the Acute Stress Syndrome Stabilization Individual (ASSYST-I) Adapted for OCD in an outpatient mental health clinic in Uruguay. The average number of sessions was 16. Clients completed the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) to assess OCD symptom severity before and after treatment. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests found significant differences between pre- and posttreatment on the Y-BOCS total scores (z= −3.624,p< .001), obsessions subtotal scores (z= −3.627,p< .001), and compulsions subtotal scores (z= −3.624,p< .001). This study describes the ASSYST-I Adapted for OCD and discusses its preliminary safety, feasibility, and acceptability.