Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an intervention on Patients Diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Abstract

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric condition marked by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that impair daily functioning and quality of life. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), particularly Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), is considered the gold standard treatment, many patients struggle with adherence due to the distress associated with exposure tasks, leading to high dropout rates. This highlights the need for alternative interventions that are effective and better tolerated.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MBCBT) in reducing OCD symptom severity and its comorbid manifestations of anxiety and depression, while also enhancing mindfulness skills.
A pretest-posttest design was employed with 12 clinically diagnosed OCD patients (6 males, 6 females) who participated in 12 weeks of structured MBCBT sessions. The intervention combined mindfulness practices, cognitive restructuring and behavioral experiments. Outcomes were measured using Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and Trait Mindfulness Scale (TMS).
The results showed significant symptom reduction across domains: Y-BOCS scores decreased by 35%, BDI by 30%, and HAM-A by 28%. Mindfulness skills improved substantially, with FFMQ median scores rising from 55.5 to 128.0 and TMS from 13.0 to 42.0 (p < .01). These findings indicate both short-term clinical benefits and the development of stable mindfulness traits.
In conclusion, MBCBT demonstrated promising efficacy in reducing OCD symptoms, alleviating anxiety and depression, and fostering long-term mindfulness skills. Larger and more diverse studies are recommended to validate and extend these results.