Correction of inflated responsibility in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

This study evaluates the efficacy of a cognitive treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Four patients with OCD whose major complaints were checking rituals were treated in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Cognitive correction targeted inflated responsibility, without any exposure or response prevention. All subjects reported a clinically significant decrease in interference caused by rituals, a 52–100% reduction in Y-BOCS scores, and a decrease in perceived responsibility. Therapeutic gains were maintained at follow-up (6 and 12 months) for three patients. Results suggest that cognitive therapy targeting inflated responsibility is a promising alternative to exposure-based treatment.