Can improv comedy help tame OCD?
NCT ID NCT06265233
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study explores whether adding improv comedy to standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants will take part in therapist-led group sessions that combine exposure and response prevention (ERP) with improv exercises. The goal is to see if this novel approach reduces OCD symptom severity and improves how people cope with uncertainty.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with improv comedy group sessions
- What this could lead to
- If this approach works, it could offer a new, engaging way to help adults with OCD reduce symptoms and better handle uncertainty.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. The therapy may not be effective for everyone, and participation requires commitment to group sessions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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7 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2024
- Finished
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Apr 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * At least 18 years of age * Ability to speak and understand English * Clinical diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Exclusion Criteria: * Current active suicidality * Medical or psychiatric illness that could interfere with study participation
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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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401 Quarry
Stanford, California, 94304, United States
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