Effectiveness of a Cognitive Metacognitive Intervention on Obsessional Beliefs and Depressive Symptoms in a Clinical OCD Population

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often comorbid with depressive symptoms, which makes it difficult to present clinically and reduces the quality of life. In this study, an 8 week integrative cognitive metacognitive therapy (CMT) that focused on the treatment of obsessional beliefs and the severity of depressive symptoms using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM D) were rated in persons with OCD. The fifty participants diagnosed with OCD under DSM 5 were chosen at random and placed into the intervention group, where they were exposed to structured CMT, and the control group, where they received treatment as usual (TAU). Some of the measures were the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire 44 (OBQ 44) and HAM D at pre treatment, post treatment, and 3 month follow up. Findings indicated that there were considerable decreases in obsessive beliefs and depression symptoms in the intervention group as compared to the controls, and hence the efficacy of integrated cognitive metacognitive strategies in clinical outcomes in comorbid OCD and depression.