Research on performing personalized OCD treatments using online mental health services such as NiceDay, as an alternative to traditional care.

Doorbreek Dwang Digitaal: Personalized exposure and ESM feedback versus exposure as usual for OCD

Jan 2020 – Dec 2023

Background

Exposure is usually the treatment of choice for patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In this treatment you are invited to expose yourself to what you fear in order to gradually reduce compulsions. This breaks the pattern of obsessive thoughts and actions. Scientific research has shown that although many patients with OCD recover from this treatment, there is still a large group of them who respond insufficiently to this treatment or eventually relapse. We believe that one of the reasons for this is that the treatment is sometimes insufficiently tailored to the personal situation of patients.

The Anxiety Disorders Department of PsyQ The Hague, lead by PhD candidate Elena Hoogerwerf (Msc), is conducting a research study focused on the treatment of OCD using the NiceDay service as an alternative to traditional care. In this way, the therapy can be offered more flexibly and personalized in the patients’ own environment. This is where and when they are are most affected by compulsions.

Objective

Determine if the effectiveness of existing treatment methods for OCD can be enhanced by the use of a smartphone-based service for online mental health treatment in order to personalize exposure and offer personalized feedback based on experience sampling data.