Dysfunctional beliefs in group and individual cognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder

The primary aim of the study was to investigate dysfunctional beliefs in the form of inflated responsibility (IR) and thought action fusion (TAF) as predictive and mediating variables in individual (n = 33) and group (n = 37) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). IR and TAF declined significantly during CBT, and the decline was positively associated with change in OCD symptoms. However, when controlling for change in depressive symptoms, only change in IR remained significantly associated with OCD symptom change. The moral subtype of TAF predicted poorer treatment outcome, but only in group CBT. Both treatments produced a similar amount of change in the dysfunctional beliefs. The results provide some, preliminary evidence that IR, but not TAF, may be specifically involved in the change mechanisms of both individual and group CBT for OCD, although the design of the study with pre- and post-therapy measurements only does not allow for a causal mediator analysis.

Research highlights▶ Changes in inflated responsibility were specifically related to OCD symptom change in CBT. ▶ Changes in thought action fusion were not specifically related to OCD symptom change in CBT. ▶ The predictive value of dysfunctional beliefs is primarily related to their association with depressive symptoms. ▶ Group and individual CBT produce similar changes in dysfunctional beliefs.