Given the overall efficacy of exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy in treating OCD, evaluating whether ERP could be effective at home and familiar settings — where symptoms typically occur — was of value at the time of this study.

This study by Dr. Antony and his team aimed to compare a “home-based” (home, work setting, public setting, etc.) ERP course to a typical “therapist-office” ERP course in terms of how effective it would be at reducing OCD symptoms. 28 participants were split evenly to receive either a “home-based” or “therapist-office” ERP course for 14 weeks. Results demonstrated that setting of therapy did not matter — OCD symptoms were significantly reduced regardless of where ERP took place, and the efficacy of ERP in both variants was the same. The study showed that ERP can be an effective form of treatment even if conducted outside a therapist’s office.

Resulting publication:

* Rowa, K., Antony, M.M., Summerfeldt, L.J., Purdon, C., Young, L., & Swinson, R.P. (2007). Office-based vs. home-based behavioral treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(8), 1883-1892. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2007.02.009