Background
Obsessive-compulsive related maladaptive beliefs play an essential role in the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, there is a lack of accessible and widespread strategies capable of challenging such beliefs in the youth general population. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a mobile health tool (GGOC-AD) in reducing maladaptive OCD beliefs and symptoms in Spanish community adolescents and explore its impact on emotional symptoms and self-esteem.
Methods
A two-armed parallel randomized controlled trial (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06033391) was carried out with 94 students (M
age = 15.09 (SD = 0.6) years; 69.1% girls). Participants either used GGOC-AD, a nonguided mobile intervention targeting maladaptive OCD beliefs (experimental group; n = 48), or GGN-AD, an active comparator with neutral content (control group, n = 46) over a 14-day period. Assessments were conducted at baseline (T1), immediately postintervention (T2), and 1 month later (T3). A mixed effects model for repeated measures (MMRM) was conducted to evaluate the effects on maladaptive OCD beliefs and symptoms, emotional symptoms, and self-esteem. The outcome was specified as the scores in both T2 and T3.
Results
Completing GGOC-AD was associated with statistically significantly lower maladaptive beliefs related to responsibility and threat estimation (Estimate [SD] = 3.62 [1.47]; p = .014; d = 0.30), perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty (Estimate [SD] = 3.07 [1.34]; p = .022; d = 0.24); and importance and need to control thoughts (Estimate [SD] = 4.34 [1.17]; p > .001; d = 0.48); and statistically significantly lower OCD symptoms (Estimate [SD] = 2.57[0.81]; p = .001; d = 0.34), compared to completing GGN-AD. No differences between groups were observed in emotional symptoms and self-esteem.
Conclusion
GGOC-AD appears to be a promising tool for addressing OCD risk factors and enhancing adolescents’ mental well-being.