Does Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Clinical Significance

Meta-analytic methods were employed to investigate the clinical significance of exposure therapy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Samples of patients treated in 16 outcome trials were compared with 9 normative samples to clarify how similar the symptoms of treated patients were to those without history of OCD. The Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) was used as the basis for comparison. As expected, substantial improvements during the course of treatment were observed. Additionally, at posttest, the average patient was functioning at a level more similar to the general population than to individuals with untreated OCD. Follow-up scores indicated that clinically significant changes were stable for up to 5 months. Treated patients, however, did remain more symptomatic than members of the general population. The results are discussed in terms of the advantages of routinely including tests of clinical significance in outcome research.