ERP Plus Improv Group Therapy for OCD (IMPROVE Study)

Stanford University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Treatments: Other: Group Improv sessions; Behavioral: Group Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06265233

69668

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to pilot test a novel group therapy intervention for adults with OCD.

Full description

The intervention will incorporate exposure and response prevention (ERP) with improvisational comedy ("improv") activities. ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD. Improv comedy is a type of theater in which actors perform without a script. This study aims to evaluate whether the intervention is helpful for reducing OCD symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty (a mechanism maintaining OCD). It will also explore whether the intervention is feasible and acceptable.

During the group therapy sessions, participants will engage with improv comedy exercises that have been adapted to function as exposures for different types of OCD. Participants will:

• attend an ERP + improv group therapy intervention (90-minute sessions for 12 weeks)
• complete homework in-between sessions
• answer questions
• complete questionnaires.

Enrollment: 12 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• At least 18 years of age
• Ability to speak and understand English
• Clinical diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Exclusion criteria

• Current active suicidality
• Medical or psychiatric illness that could interfere with study participation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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12 participants in 1 patient group

ERP combined with Improv Group Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will attend 90-minute ERP + improv group therapy sessions for 12 consecutive weeks. They will also complete homework between sessions, answer questions, and complete questionnaires.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Group Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy

Other: Group Improv sessions