Abstract
Objective: Cognitive error levels in rumination and cleaning dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder are different. In this study, the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy applied in addition to drug therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder-rumination and obsessive-compulsive disorder-cleaning groups on cognitive errors was examined.
Material and Methods: A total of 31 patients (obsessive-compulsive disorder-rumination=15; obsessive-compulsive disorder-cleaning=16) were included in the study. In this prospective study, obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis was made according to DSM-5. The sub-dimensions were determined by evaluating the clinical and Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory together. Cognitive errors were evaluated with the cognitive distortions scale, and the general condition of the patient was evaluated with the global assessment scale. Cognitive behavioral therapy sessions were carried out at frequencies between 3-10 days and in eight sessions in total. Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory was administered only at the beginning of the treatment, cognitive distortions scale and global assessment scale both at the beginning of the treatment and after eight weeks of treatment.
Results: The groups were similar in terms of age and education level (p=0.345 and p=0.258 respectively). Before the treatment, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of cognitive distortions scale-IP (interpersonal relationship) (p=0.025), and this significant difference continued after the treatment (p=0.012). The obsessive-compulsive disorder-rumination group was significantly affected by cognitive behavioral therapy in terms of cognitive distortions scale-IP (p<0.001) and cognitive distortions scale-PA (personal achievement) (p=0.043). The obsessive-compulsive disorder-cleaning group was only affected by cognitive behavioral therapy in terms of cognitive distortions scale-IP (p=0.001).
Conclusion: The most important result of this study is that cognitive behavioral therapy reduces cognitive errors in social relationships more than cognitive errors in personal achievements. In addition, cognitive errors related to personal achievement were reduced by cognitive behavioral therapy in the rumination sub-dimension, while they were not affected in the cleaning sub-dimension.