Can rethinking thoughts beat standard OCD therapy?
NCT ID NCT02867449
First seen Aug 10, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two psychological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): metacognitive therapy, which focuses on changing unhelpful thinking patterns, and exposure and response prevention, the current standard behavioral therapy. The study aims to see if metacognitive therapy is at least as effective as the standard approach in reducing OCD symptoms. Participants will receive one of the two therapies, and their symptom changes will be measured over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Metacognitive therapy, a psychological treatment that targets unhelpful thinking patterns, compared with exposure and response prevention, a standard behavioral therapy for OCD.
- What this could lead to
- If metacognitive therapy proves as good as or better than standard exposure therapy, it could offer a new, effective treatment option for people with OCD who don't fully recover with current approaches.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial, and the results may not apply to everyone with OCD. Metacognitive therapy is still being tested and may not be more effective than existing treatments.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Leipzig University
Leipzig, Germany
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Philipps University Marburg
Marburg, Germany
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