Self-guided internet-administered cognitive-behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled trial

Participants in the treatment groups will complete 5 lessons in 8 weeks of a self guided internet-delivered treatment program for OCD. All participants will be followed up 24 months after they complete the intervention. The content of the 5 lesson intervention includes: Lesson One (1 week): Learn about the physical, cognitive and behavioural symptoms of OCD and the principles of CBT treatment for OCD. Lesson 2 (2 weeks): Learn about the relationship between unhelpful thinking and anxiety. Read examples of how people with symptoms of OCD improve the accuracy of unhelpful thinking styles. Lesson 3 (1 week): Learn about the physical symptoms of OCD and read examples of how people learn to manage them. Lesson 4 (2 weeks): Learn about the unhelpful behaviours of OCD (compulsions and avoidance) and how to challenge those behaviours with exposure and response prevention. Lesson 5 (2 weeks): Learn about relapse prevention and staying well. The immediate treatment group will complete the program immediately, whilst the delayed treatment condition will complete the program after a 8 week delay. Both groups receive the same information and participants will be asked questions about how much time they spent using the skills described in the program. The internet-delivered lessons for both groups take approximately 30 minutes to read through, with homework exercises taking a further hour per day. The lessons are based on current best practice cognitive and behavioural techniques and include exposure and response prevention, and cognitive techniques. A printable information summary will also be provided, and some homework assignments will be set.