ZeroOCD: Learn to Overcome Contamination OCD With Your Smartphone

NCT07194473 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ZeroOCD/FP-1478
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 189
• Locations: 4 countries
• Sites: 4

Brief Summary

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone-based augmented reality (AR) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app, called ZeroOCD, for individuals with elevated contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. The AR-CBT app will be compared to both an active control condition (manualized CBT via videoconferencing) and a waitlist control group.

Conditions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Keywords

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Augmented Reality; Smartphone; Randomized Controlled Trial; Cost-effectiveness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• OCD Symptoms (Interview)

  Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS): Change from baseline in the observer-rated severity of OCD symptoms. This is a 10-item, clinician-rated scale that provides separate subtotals for the severity of obsessions and compulsions. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. The Y-BOCS is also used for the eligibility (mean score \> 7).

  At baseline, At 10 weeks, At 20 weeks (only WL condition) At 24 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (13)

• OCD symptoms (Self-report)

  At baseline, During treatment (every week) At 10 weeks, At 24 weeks

• Fear of Contamination

  At baseline, At 10 weeks, At 20 weeks (only WL condition) At 24 weeks

• Depression

  At baseline, At 10 weeks, At 24 weeks

• Anxiety

  At baseline, At 10 weeks, At 24 weeks

• Current Distress/Disgust

  up to ten weeks

Other Outcomes (3)

• Reasons for discontinuation

  up to ten weeks

• Socio-demographic information

  At baseline

• Health Anxiety

  At baseline

Study Arms (3)

ZeroOCD AR-CBT App + 3 therapist support sessions

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will use the ZeroOCD smartphone application, which delivers 9 modules of augmented reality exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy principles. This group will also receive 3 videoconferencing sessions with a therapist at the beginning, middle, and end of the 10-week treatment period.

Behavioral: ZeroOCD

Videoconferencing CBT

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive 9 weekly sessions of manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) delivered via videoconferencing by trained therapists.

Behavioral: Videoconferencing CBT

Waitlist control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group will receive access to the ZeroOCD app with therapist support on request after a 10-week waiting period.

Interventions

ZeroOCD BEHAVIORAL

The ZeroOCD app contains the following components: psychoeducation, detecting obsessive thoughts, coping with obsessions, goal setting, fear curve explanation, exposure with AR, re-exposure with AR, exposure hierarchy, exposure in real-life, re-exposure in real life and relapse prevention

Also known as: ZeroOCD AR-CBT App + 3 therapist support sessions

ZeroOCD AR-CBT App + 3 therapist support sessions

Videoconferencing CBT BEHAVIORAL

Videoconferencing CBT contains the following chapters: psychoeducation, detecting obsessive thoughts, coping with obsessions, goal setting, fear curve explanation, exposure hierarchy, exposure in real-life, re-exposure in real life and relapse prevention

Videoconferencing CBT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• OCD symptoms, mean score \> 7 on the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)
• Fear of contamination OCD symptoms, mean score \> 6 on the Padua Inventory contamination fear subscale (PI)
• Having access to a compatible smartphone
• Having an internet connection
• Proficiency in one of the countries' languages (i.e., Dutch/ Flemish, German, or Swedish)
• Willing to participate in the research study and provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Having been diagnosed with bipolar or psychotic disorder (self-report)
• Severe depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9, score \> 20)
• Reporting suicidality (PHQ-9, item 9 \> 2 points at screening)
• Fear of contamination due to disorder other than OCD (clinical judgment based on results from the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Y-BOCS, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items, GAD-7, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, SHAI)
• Parallel psychological treatment
• Non-stable dosage of psychoactive medication during the last three months or planned changes during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VU University of Amsterdam: lead
• University of Bern: collaborator
• Stockholm University: collaborator
• Thomas More University of Applied Sciences: collaborator

Study Sites (4)

Thomas More Mechelen

Mechelen, Belgium

Location

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Amsterdam, North Holland, 1081 BT, Netherlands

Location

Stockholm University

Stockholm, Sweden

Location

UBERN

Bern, Switzerland

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Tar Donker, PhD

CONTACT

0205988265; t.donker@vu.nl

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Parallel Assignment

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 3, 2025
• First Posted: September 26, 2025
• Study Start: September 21, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE

Locations

SE (1); BE (1); CH (1); NL (1)