Metacognitive therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case series

Cognitive-behavior therapy and exposure and response prevention are the most effective psychological treatments for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, these approaches often produce variable results with the majority of treated individuals remaining symptomatic. This study evaluated a new form of cognitive therapy based on Wells’ metacognitive model of OCD. Treatment efficacy was assessed using single case methodology in 4 consecutively referred individuals. At post-treatment, all participants made clinically significant change on a range of standardized outcome measures and these gains were largely maintained through to 6-month follow-up. Metacognitive therapy could be an effective and time efficient treatment for OCD.