The Comparison of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and the combination of ACT and SSRIs in the treatment of adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Materials and Methods: In This experimental study 32 outpatients meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for OCD were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: ACT, SSRIs, and combined treatment. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Depression Inventory-II-Second edition (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered at pre- and post-treatment. Twenty-seven patients completed the study. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAs) and one - way analysis of covariance (ANCOVAs), clinically significant change, and complete remission status.

Results: Analyses with ANCOVA revealed that the patients treated with ACT and combined treatment experienced a significantly greater improvement in obsessivecompulsive symptoms at post-treatment as compared to those treated with SSRIs alone. However, there were no significant differences between ACT and combined treatment on OC symptoms. In addition, no significant differences were found between all the 3 treatment groups regarding reduction in the BDI-II and BAI scores at post-treatment. Clinically significant change and complete remission status results also showed that, unlike the SSRI, the ACT and combined treatment lead to more improvement in OC symptoms.

Conclusion: ACT and combined treatment are more effective than SSRIs alone in treating OC symptoms. However, it seems that adding SSRIs to ACT does not increase the effectiveness of ACT in the treatment of adults with OCD in the short-term.