THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REAL AND IMAGINAL EXPOSURERESPONSE PREVENTION ON OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of real and imaginal
exposure-response prevention methods on the improvement of patients suffering from obsessivecompulsive
disorder.
Materials & Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on 45 patients (from psychiatry
clinics and psychology center of Fatemi Hospital of Ardabil) with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The
samples were selected through accessible sampling and were randomly put into three groups of real
exposure - response prevention group (15 patients), imaginal exposure-response prevention group (15
patients), and control group (15 patients). In order to collect the data, Maudsely's Obsessive-
Compulsive Scale and Clinical Structured Interview based on the DSM-IV were used. The raw scores
from the pre-test and post-test were analyzed using ANOVA and Scheffe’s test.
Results: The results revealed that there was a significant difference between both experimental (real
and imaginal exposure-response prevention) and control groups. It was also manifested that real
exposure-response prevention method, in comparison to imaginal exposure-response prevention
method, was more effectual in reducing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Conclusion: Accordingly, it can be claimed that to reduce the symptoms of obsession, real exposureresponse
prevention is more effective than imaginal exposure-response prevention. To explain this
finding it can be said that the real encounter with fear stimulating situations -in comparison to
imaginal exposure- creates more anxiety and this anxiety and apprehension caused real exposure
response prevention to overcome the imaginal exposure