Can mindfulness beat OCD? large trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT04914923
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether mindfulness-based therapy can help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Researchers will compare mindfulness to standard cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in 420 adults with OCD. The goal is to see if mindfulness reduces OCD symptoms and to understand how it works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug treatment option for OCD that helps reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage study, and previous small studies have shown mixed results. It may not prove more effective than existing therapies, and benefits may vary.
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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About 420 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2021
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * experiencing clinically significant obsessive-compulsive symptoms based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS; score \> 17) * if on medications for OCD, must be stabilized, i.e. are currently receiving an adequate dose (equivalent of 40mg/day of fluoxetine) for an adequate duration (at least 8 weeks of treatment) prior to the initiation of the study. Exclusion Criteria: * concurrent diagnosis of a severe mood disorder, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, or substance abuse/dependence * suspected organic pathology * an active comorbid medical condition that may require urgent intervention during the treatment.
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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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St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 4A6, Canada
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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada
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