Enhancing Transdiagnostic Protective Factors in the Management of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19470578

Mahak Mathur¹ and Roopa Mathur² (Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute/Organization: Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and University, Jaipur, Rajasthan¹ and Department of Psychology, IIS Deemed to be University Jaipur, Rajasthan²)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a severe and distressing mental health condition characterized by presence of repetitive obsessional thoughts and compulsions. Despite the well-confirmed efficacy of the existing traditional therapeutic interventions, there remains a critical need to explore third-wave therapies that target positive psychological aspects alongside Obsessive compulsive symptoms. The current study investigated the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in improving psychological flexibility, self-compassion, equanimity, and valued living among individuals diagnosed with OCD. The study sample was taken across tertiary care and private mental health centres in Jaipur, Rajasthan. A sample of 14 participants was allocated to an intensive ACT program consisting of 12-20 sessions over a 6-10-week period. Standardized psychometric tools were administered to assess clinical outcomes, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) (Goodman et al., 1989), Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale(Neff, 2003), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II), the Equanimity Questionnaire(Bond et al., 2011), and the Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ) (Wilson & Groom, 2002). Paired-samples t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements across all the variables. Significant reductions were observed in OCD severity (M = 3.36, SD = 2.70, p < .001).. Furthermore, participants showed significant improvement in self-compassion (p < .001), equanimity (p < .001), and psychological flexibility (p = .001). Improvements in valued living were also significant, including value importance (p < .001), consistency (p < .001), and total values scores (p = .001). These findings suggest ACT to be a highly effective intervention for not only alleviating obsessional symptoms but also for positive mental health growth.