The effectiveness of Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP) on depression and experiential avoidance symptoms in female OCD patients

This study aims at investigating the effectiveness of Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP) treatment on depression symptoms and experiential avoidance in female patients suffering from Obsessive-compulsive disorder. The current research is considered an applied study with a quasi-experimental method of pre- post-test with a control group. For this study, 24 women were chosen via purposive sampling and subjected to two groups of paired and trial groups of 12. It noted that both groups received medications, while the experimental group also received Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP); hence the control group was not subjected to any additional intervention other than its usual one of medications. Experiential avoidance and depression respectively measured by Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory and was later analyzed, using MANCOVA. Our findings show no significant difference between the aggregate score in experiential avoidance in the experiment group (Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention) and control group (medical treatment). According to the findings, it considered that encountering treatment method and Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP) has no effect of experimental avoidance scores of the females who are affected with the obsessive-compulsive disorder. While revealing a significant discrepancy between pre- and post-test depression scores, it understood that Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP) effected on reducing of the females who are suffering Obsessive-compulsive disorder. This paper aims to explore pre-post–test scores in experiential avoidance and depression in Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients after having the experience of Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention. Our results revealed no decrease in experiential avoidance in female Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients under Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention treatment or medication alike. In an attempt of explanation, one can claim more frequency of sessions with fewer intervals in between to possibly help bring relief regarding experiential avoidance in Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. But on the same lines, the results report a decrease in depression symptoms in post-test in both Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention and medication group which is, yet again, in concert with previous findings.