OCD and Related Disorders SIG

OCD and Related Disorders SIG

OCD and Related Disorders Special Interest Group

Affiliated 2021

Click Here to Join the OCD and Related Disorders SIG and its Listserv!

You will be added as a member to the SIG and to the SIG's email listserv. You will receive those messages in daily digest form (by default). If you would like to change your email delivery preference, you can do so here.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have quite a few opportunities to become involved with the OCD and related disorders SIG on all committees (Executive, Clinical Training, Communications, Diversity/Advocacy, and Research and Dissemination). The types of opportunites and time commitments (hours per month and length of commitment) vary, so you can find out more information on our volunteer opportunities page: 

https://contextualscience.org/volunteer_opportunities

Mission/Objectives

The mission of this SIG is to promote awareness and improve access to care for individuals who suffer from OCD and related disorders.

This SIG will broadly focus on obsessive compulsive disorder and related conditions, including, but not limited to, body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, perfectionism, illness anxiety disorder, body-focused repetitive disorders (e.g. trichotillomania and excoriation disorder), and common comorbid presentations. Clinical applications and research based in contextual behavioral science as related to these psychiatric illnesses will be central to this SIG. 

The OCD and Related Disorders SIG aims to:

  • Build a diverse and inclusive community of professionals that fosters connection, collaboration, and growth towards shared values.
  • Increase awareness of and decrease stigma related to OCD and related disorders by educating professionals and the public.
  • Disseminate evidence-based treatment and training for OCD and related disorders, including the use of acceptance and commitment therapy as an independent treatment approach or integrated with exposure and response prevention or other behavioral treatments.
  • Contribute to the reduction of current barriers to care for communities with health disparities due to race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, religion, language, socioeconomic status, or region of residence, as well as mitigation of further gaps in health and healthcare for marginalized groups as a result of the ongoing climate crisis.
  • Support basic and applied research related to the understanding and treatment of OCD and related disorders through the lens of contextual behavioral science. 

Current SIG Activities

  • Hosting the ACT and OCD Special Topics Series featuring SIG members presenting on the topic of their choice (recordings and materials available here)
  • Connecting with members via the SIG Listserv
  • Maintaining a webpage of relevant resources
  • Compiling and evaluating the research literature on ACT for OCD and related disorders
  • Developing a training program with focus on ACT for OCD
  • Holding SIG meeting at ACBS World Conference (or virtually shortly before or after the World Conference)
  • Launching a peer consultation group

Contact Information
Jordan Cattie

SIG Leaders
Executive Committee Members
Kristin E Fitch 
Marla W Deibler 
Yvette Fruchter
Rebecca Schneider 
Erica Silberstein 

Clinical Training Committee Co-Chairs
Charles Galyon 
Jordan Cattie 
Jody Hoffman 

Communications Committee Co-Chairs
Alison Sagon 
Katy Rothfelder 

Research and Dissemination Committee Chair
Eric Lee 

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Community

Get Involved with the OCD SIG!

Get Involved with the OCD SIG!

Volunteer Opportunities

We have quite a few opportunities to become involved with the OCD and related disorders SIG on all committees (Executive, Clinical Training, Communications, Diversity/Advocacy, and Research and Dissemination). The types of opportunites and time commitments (hours per month and length of commitment) vary, so you can find out more information on our volunteer opportunities page:

https://contextualscience.org/volunteer_opportunities 

 

ACT and OCD Special Topics Series

The OCD and Related Disorders SIG launched our ACT and OCD Special Topics Series in January 2023. The topic, format, day, and time varies month to month in an effort to make the meetings as relevant and accessible as possible for our members. We hope these meetings will spark ideas for new projects, identify the needs and interests of our members, provide opportunities to connect, and get folks involved with the sig. These meetings are open to all - ACBS and OCD SIG membership are not required, so please feel free to invite colleagues and trainees outside of ACBS.

Upcoming Schedule

Recordings and materials from select meetings (for SIG members only)

If you are interested in hosting (or co-hosting) a one-time meeting or have a special request for a topic, please email Yvette Fruchter or Kristin Fitch. Example formats include journal club, research presentation/symposium, webinar/workshop, consultation group, etc. Content can be previously presented and you can choose the date and time so it is convenient for your schedule.

 

Peer Consultation Group

Information coming soon!

 

Collaboration with the International OCD Foundation

Members of the executive committee have recently established the ACT SIG in the IOCDF. We hope to have a high amount of collaboration between the organizations and can use your help!

 

OCD and Related Disorders Home Page

dr.kfitch

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

Diversity/Advocacy Committee

Current projects needing assistance:

  • Educate providers in various medical settings (emergency rooms, medical providers, primary care providers, OBGYNs, front line providers, PET team, police, CPS) about harm-themed OCD symptoms to reduce inaccurate diagnoses and potentially harmful treatment outcomes
  • Provide training resources to clinicians with an aim of increasing cultural sensitivity

Related Tasks/Roles:

  • Social media volunteers/advocates to connect ACBS OCD SIG to mental health organizations/influencers
  • Researcher to identify statistics re: missed diagnosis of OCD
  • Create a cheat sheet resource that could be offered on the website, different tiers, how to reach out to and connect with non-OCD providers
  • Generate listing of OCD-informed psychiatrists accepting insurance
  • Gather/produce resources to advocate for our clients and when collaborating with other medical providers
  • Gather/produce resources for understanding different levels of care and what will meet clients' specific needs
  • Increase advocacy and awareness at the IOCDF conference with other ethnic-minority clinician organizations

Additional Opportunities:

  • Contribute to blog posts
  • Peer consultation group participation and development
  • Training participation and development
  • Outreach and advocacy efforts
  • Resource development for new clinicians interested in learning more about OCD, ACT, and serving marginalized communities
  • Resource development for providers in various medical settings and parents
  • Collaborate with other committees and SIGs (e.g., International, DEI, Training, Research etc.)
  • Access to ACBS resources (e.g., training, conference information etc.)

Time commitment:

6-12months; attend approx. 4 virtual meetings/year
Contact person -  Annabella Hagen, [email protected]

 

Research and Dissemination Committee
Current projects needing assistance:

  • Conduct meta-analysis/research review on ACT for OCD and related disorders
  • Update website with relevant research

Related Tasks/Roles:

  • Conduct literature reviews
  • Evaluate articles on website to determine which representative articles are missing
  • Communicate within OCD Sig, ACBS, and other organizations to recruit new committee members and survey research interests
  • Assess current status of ACT research (using Chambliss et al. (1998)/Tolin et al. (2015)/Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology criteria

Additional Opportunities:

  • Mentorship by committee chairs
  • Communication to lay community/professionals on research findings
  • Collaboration on manuscripts and professional presentations
  • Development/collaboration on research projects (e.g. process-based therapy)
  • Collaboration with other committees and SIGs (e.g. Clinical, Advocacy/Diversity)

Time commitment:

Minimum 1 semester; variable monthly time commitment depending on project
Contact person - Michelle Miller, [email protected]  

 

Clinical Training Committee

Current projects needing assistance:

  • Create ACT for OCD training workshops
  • Update website with training resources for professionals
  • Develop self-assessment tool to guide clinicians to appropriate training opportunities

Related Tasks/Roles:

  • Contribute to training resource bank
  • Collect and create vignettes, role plays, exercises to understand what it is like to have OCD, other experiential exercises
  • Search for and review materials to include on website for trainees/professionals
  • Identify existing consultation groups for providers and/or develop group opportunities
  • Identify pre-existing trainings that are ACT consistent

Additional Opportunities:

  • Organize/participate in a reading group for professionals
  • Draft communications to professionals
  • Create recommended readings list with annotated bibliography for different skill levels
  • Collaborate with other committees and SIGs (e.g. Research, Advocacy/Diversity)

Time commitment:

6-12 months; variable monthly time commitment depending on project
Contact person - Kristin Fitch - [email protected]

 

Communications Committee & General Involvement

Current projects needing assistance:

  • Website development
  • Social media
  • Outreach/community building
  • Develop and maintain listserv

Related Tasks/Roles

  • Identify and/or review general resources for website (e.g., books, apps, podcasts, videos, blogs, websites, workshops, webinars, etc. for the public and professionals)
  • Develop social media accounts/presence for general public and/or groups for professionals
  • Compile directory of members for dissemination within the SIG Outreach to other organizations, clinics, universities, etc. to recruit SIG members
  • Create listserv posts to prompt discussion and share resources

Additional Opportunities

  • SIG leadership positions

Time commitment

3-12 months; variable depending on project
Contact person - Kristin Fitch, [email protected]
 

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OCD and Related Disorders SIG Resources

OCD and Related Disorders SIG Resources

Videos

ACT and Treatment of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors - Webinar presented in April 2022 by the Social Work SIG
Assessment and Treatment of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors - Webinar presented in April 2021 as a Chicago Chapter sponsored event
Fear and Flexibility: ACT and Inhibitory Learning for Anxious Children and Teens - Workshop presented at the ACBS World Conference 15 by Lisa Coyne and Denise Egan Stack
A Functional Contextual Approach to the Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders - Workshop presented at the ACBS World Conference 13 by Michael P. Twohig
The OCD Mind and Uncertainty | ACT by Annabella Hagen, MSW

 

Clinical and Research Resources

AAQ-OC Questionnaire
An eight session ACT for OCD protocol
AOIS - Adult OCD Impact Scale

 

State of ACT Evidence

  • American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Psychology (Div. 12), Research Supported Psychological Treatments: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Modest Research Support
  • Australian Psychological Society, Evidence Based Psychological Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Disorders (2018): Obsessive compulsive disorder – Level II Evidence

 

Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews

  • Angelakis, I., Pseftogianni, F. (2021) The association between obsessive-compulsive and related disorders and experiential avoidance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.062
  • Philip, J., & Cherian, V. (2021). Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 28, Article 100603. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100603
  • Twohig, M.P., Smith, B.M. (2015) Targeting the function of inner experiences in obsessive compulsive and related disorders. Current Opinion in Psychology, 2, 32-37. (Included in the Current Opinion in Psychology special issue "Third Wave Behavioral Therapies") DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.033
  • Twohig, M. & Morrison, K. & Bluett, E. (2014). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders: A Review. Current Psychiatry Reviews. DOI: 10.2174/1573400510666140714172145
  • Bluett, E.J., Homan, K.J., Morrison, K.L., Levin, M.E. & Twohig, M.P. (2014). Acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety and OCD spectrum disorders: An empirical review. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 6, 612-624. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.06.008

 

Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science Articles

  • Chad T. Wetterneck, Caitlin M. Pinciotti, Lindsey Knott, KimKinnear, Eric A. Storch (2020) Development and validation of theAdult OCD Impact Scale (AOIS): A measure of psychosocial functioning for adultswith obsessive-compulsive disorder. JCBS, Volume 18, Pages 287-293.
  • Lillian Reuman, Jennifer Buchholz, Jonathan S. Abramowitz(2018) Obsessive beliefs, experiential avoidance, and cognitive fusion aspredictors of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom dimensions. JCBS, Volume 9, Pages 15-20.
  • Michael P. Twohig, Jennifer C. PlumbVilardaga, Michael E.Levin, Steven C. Hayes (2015) Changes in psychological flexibility duringacceptance and commitment therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder. JCBS, Volume 4, Issue 3, Pages 196-202.
  • Stephanie Rabin Scherr, James D. Herbert, Evan M. Forman(2015) The role of therapist experiential avoidance in predicting therapistpreference for exposure treatment for OCD. JCBS, Volume 4, Issue 1, Pages 21-29.
  • EmmaNicholson, Kimberley Dempsey, Dermot Barnes-Holmes(2014) The role of responsibility and threat appraisals in contamination fearand obsessive-compulsive tendencies at the implicit level. JCBS, Volume 3, Issue 1, Pages 31-37.
  • Chad T. Wetterneck, Eric B. Lee, Angela H. Smith, John M. Hart(2013) Courage, self-compassion, and values in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. JCBS, Volume 2, Issues 3–4, Pages 68-73.

 

Randomized Controlled Trials (OCD)

  • ByZou, J. Z., Wu, S. L., Yuan, X., Hu, Z. Z., Tang, J., & Hu, M.R. (2022). Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 720518 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.720518
  • Zemestani M, Salavati M, Seyedolshohadayi A, et al. (2020) A Preliminary Examination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Exposure and Response Prevention for Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder on an Optimal Dose of SSRIs: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Iran. Behavior Modification. DOI: 10.1177/0145445520982977
  • Taghavizade Ardakani, M., Akbari, B., Hossein Khanzade, A. A., & Moshkbide Haghighi, M. (2019). Comparing the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on the perfectionism of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Horizon of Medical Sciences, 26(1), 24-37.
  • Shabani, M. J., Mohsenabadi, H., Omidi, A., Lee, E. B., Twohig, M. P., Ahmdvand, A., & Zanjani, Z. (2019). An Iranian study of group acceptance and commitment therapy versus group cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder on an optimal dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22, 100440. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.04.003
  • Hemmat, A., Mohammadi Bytamar, J., Pirzeh, R., & Dadashi, M. (2018). The effectiveness of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment to reduce obsessive-compulsive use of substance, anxiety and depression of addicts under methadone treatment. Journal Of Zanjan University Of Medical Sciences And Health Services, 117, 109-125.
  • Twohig, M. P., Abramowitz, J. S., Smith, B. M., Fabricant, L. E., Jacoby, R. J., Morrison, K. L., Bluett, E. J., Reuman, L., Blakey, S. M., & Lederman, T. (2018). Adding acceptance and commitment therapy to exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 108, 1-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.06.005
  • Rohani, F., Rasouli-Azad, M., Twohig, M. P., Ghoreishi, F. S., Lee, E. B., & Akbari, H. (2018). Preliminary test of group acceptance and commitment therapy on obsessive-compulsive disorder for patients on optimal dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 16, 8-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2017.10.002
  • Ghasemi, S., Azizi, A. & Esmaeli, N. (2017). Comparison between the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy on marital satisfaction in women with obsessive- compulsive disorder. Journal of Community Health, 11(2), 58-67.
  • Vakili, Y., Gharraee, B., Habibi, M., Lavasani, F., & Rasoolian, M. (2014). The comparison of acceptance and commitment therapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 16(10), 10-14.
  • Twohig, M. P., Hayes, S. C., Plumb, J. C., Pruitt, L. D., Collins, A. B., Hazlett-Stevens, H. & Woidneck, M. R. (2010). A randomized clinical trial of acceptance and commitment therapy vs. progressive relaxation training for obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 705-716. DOI: 10.1037/a0020508

Randomized Controlled Trials (trichotillomania)

  • Lee, E. B., Homan, K. J., Morrison, K. L., Ong, C. W., Levin, M. E., & Twohig, M. P. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy for trichotillomania: A randomized controlled trial of adults and adolescents. Behavior Modification, 44, 49-69. DOI: 10.1177/0145445518794366
  • Lee, E. B., Haeger, J. A., Levin, M. E., Ong, C. W., & Twohig, M. P. (2018). Telepsychotherapy for trichotillomania: A randomized controlled trial of ACT enhanced behavior therapy. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 18, 106-115. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2018.04.003
  • Woods, D. W., Wetterneck, C. T., & Flessner, C. A. (2006). A controlled evaluation of acceptance and commitment therapy plus habit reversal for trichotillomania. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 639-656. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2005.05.006

OCD and Related Disorders SIG Home Page

Community

The ACT and OCD Special Topics Series

The ACT and OCD Special Topics Series

Missed one of the ACT and OCD Special Topics Series presentations? Click on the links below for the recording and slides.

January 2023 Presentations

Consent over Compliance: Using Functional Analysis to transform function and reduce coercion in ERP practice presented by Katy Rothfelder, MA, LPC-Associate

Fantasy-Focused Repetitive Behaviors - A proposed ACT approach for the treatment of maladaptive daydreaming (MD) presented by Matt Roberts, MS, LMFT

February 2023 Presentations

ACT, CBS and OCD and Related Disorder Research Speed Round presented by Morgan Browning, MA 

Application of ACT with tics and Tourette’s Syndrome presented by Charles Galyon, PhD, HSP 

April 2023 Presentation

Scrupulosity OCD and values-based exposures presented by Annabella Hagen, LCSW 

May 2023 Presentations

Exposure Through the Lens of the Hexaflex presented by Brian Thompson, PhD

The use and misuse of ACT skills during exposures presented by Rebecca Schneider, PhD and Allison LoPilato, PhD

June 2023 Presentation

Multicultural case formulation & exposure planning using ACT presented by Sheeva Mostoufi, PhD & Jordan Cattie, PhD

September 2023 Presentation

Introduction to Contemporary Practices in the Treatment of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors presented by Marla Deibler, PsyD, ABPP & Renae M. Reinardy, PsyD

November 2023 Presentations

Applying ACT-based ERP for Adolescents presented by Alyssa Faro, PhD & Rebecca Schneider, PhD (see slides below)

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