Effect of Emotion-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptom Severity

NCT07622654 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2026/00402025/0040
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the effect of Emotion-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group psychotherapy on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom severity. Participants with OCD will be randomly assigned to either an ACT-based group psychotherapy arm or a supportive group psychotherapy arm. Each arm consists of 10 to 12 weekly sessions of 2 hours. Symptom severity, psychological flexibility, emotional awareness, functioning and quality of life will be assessed before and after the intervention.

Conditions

OCD; Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder

Keywords

ACT; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Group Psychotherapy; OCD; Emotion-Focused Therapy; Psychological Flexibility

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Severity

  Change in OCD symptom severity measured by Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) from baseline to post-treatment.

  Baseline and 10-12 weeks (post-treatment)

• OCD Symtom Severity- DOCS

  Change in OCD symptom severity measured by Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) from baseline to post treatment.

  Baseline and 10-12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

ACT-Based Group Psychotherapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Emotion-focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based structured group psychotherapy targeting emotional awareness, acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment focus, values clarification and committed action. Groups consist of 8-10 participants, meeting once weekly for 10-12 sessions of 2 hours each.

Behavioral: Emotion-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Group Psychotherapy

Supportive Group Psychotherapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Unstructured supportive group psychotherapy aimed at providing emotional support, enhancing coping with stress and maintaining current functioning. Groups consist of 8-10 participants, meeting once weekly for 10-12 sessions of 2 hours each.

Behavioral: Emotion-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Group Psychotherapy

Interventions

Emotion-Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Group Psychotherapy BEHAVIORAL

Structured group psychotherapy based on ACT principles targeting emotional awareness, acceptance of emotional experiences, cognitive defusion, present-moment focus, values clarification and committed action. Sessions are conducted face-to-face, once weekly, 2 hours per session, for 10-12 weeks.

ACT-Based Group Psychotherapy; Supportive Group Psychotherapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria
• Age between 18-65 years
• Minimum literacy level
• Willingness to participate and providing informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Age over 65 years
• Diagnosis of alcohol or substance use disorder
• Comorbid psychotic disorder or intellectual disability
• Any change in psychiatric treatment (medication or psychotherapy) in the last 3 months
• Comorbid psychiatric disorder that would impair group therapy compliance
• History of cognitive impairment due to dementia, organic brain syndrome or other neurological/organic pathology

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mehmet Emrah Karadere: lead
• Goztepe Prof Dr Suleyman Yalcın City Hospital: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Goztepe Prof. Dr. Suleyman Yalcin City Hospital

Istanbul, Istanbul, 34722, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Interventions

Psychotherapy, Group

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders; Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Socioenvironmental Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

• Mehmet Emrah Karadere

  Goztepe Prof Dr Suleyman Yalcın City Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kaasım Fatih Yavuz

  Baglamsal Bilimler ve Psikoterapiler Dernegi

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Beyza Baran Boz

  Goztepe Prof Dr Suleyman Yalcın City Hospital

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Mehmet Emrah Karadere

CONTACT

05332651664; memrahkaradere@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: This is an open-label study. Due to the nature of psychotherapy interventions, blinding of participants and therapists is not possible. Outcome assessors are not blinded.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 26, 2026
• First Posted: June 3, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2026
• Study Completion: June 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)