Need a cheaper, more accessible, private OCD treatment? There's an app for that. - Harvard Gazette

"Those who experience the paralyzing psychological and social effects of obsessive-compulsive disorder can often find relief in cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. But not everyone who may benefit from the therapy has access to it, and researchers have noted both the barriers and the growing need. Now, a recent trial of Perspectives, a new CBT-based smartphone app developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, shows promising signs that it may help OCD sufferers overcome the many barriers to treatment."

"OCD is a very common and severe disorder. Given that there is a major need for treatment, you would think that many therapists would know how to treat it, but actually it's very challenging to find evidence-based treatment for OCD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the gold standard psychotherapy for OCD and has been shown to achieve good treatment outcomes. It is a structured, skills-based intervention that helps people change the unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that keep OCD going."

A trial of Perspectives, a CBT-based smartphone app developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, shows promise in helping people with OCD overcome treatment barriers. An estimated one in 40 American adults, about 8.2 million people, have or will develop OCD, with symptoms often beginning in the teen years. Symptoms include recurring uncontrollable thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the gold-standard, structured, skills-based intervention that changes unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and yields good outcomes. There are insufficient trained providers and many access barriers, and digital tools may help extend evidence-based care to more people.

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