Is exposure and response prevention treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder as aversive as we think?

Background: Meta-analytical studies have confirmed that exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the psychological treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients drop out of ERP because of the aversive nature of the treatment. Methods: In this study, eight individuals diagnosed with OCD described their experience of ERP treatment in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis was used to identify common themes across participants. Results: Common themes were categorised into a) Experience of ERP, b) specific treatment factors, c) non-specific treatment factors, and d) quality of life impact. Conclusions: Several specific and non-specific variables emerged as significantly impacting on the experience of completing ERP. A number of important themes emerged that provide special areas for consideration for minimising distress to clients when treating OCD using ERP.