Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Mobile Technology

2022 ◽  
pp. 133-150
Author(s):  
Rita Henriques da Costa Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Final Project ◽  
Competitor Analysis

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of persistent and unwanted obsessions, which take the form of intrusive thoughts. These lead to widespread anxiety and/or compulsions which take the form of repetitive acts to relieve anxiety. In 2020, for the author's master's degree final project, she decided to propose the creation of a mobile application for people with OCD, whose main purpose was to reduce the anxiety caused by it. Although mobile applications already exist for the treatment of OCD, it was necessary to fill some gaps and improve them. This chapter will examine the techniques that were applied on the investigation of the author's project—a competitor analysis and an exploratory qualitative research—and understand how they can help to retain some information that is beyond the literature review, and what needs to be retained from them to know which features and functionalities are most useful in an app that aims to support therapeutic intervention in individuals with OCD, as well as possible gaps that could be improved.

OCD

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) experience unpleasant and intrusive thoughts, images, doubts or urges (called obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (called compulsions). Compulsions are usually carried out as a way of reducing the distress caused by obsessions. OCD takes many different forms and causes distress and interference to day-to-day life. 

The Unified Protocol for Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

2017 ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Johanna Thompson-Hollands
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Reappraisal ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Transdiagnostic Treatment ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Unified Protocol

The case of a 25-year-old male with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is presented in this chapter. The patient, “Luke,” had primary obsessions related to harm befalling his family and girlfriend, as well as fears of contamination. His primary compulsions included mental “undoing,” in his words, and repeating actions. He engaged in significant avoidance around potential contaminants. The text reviews Luke’s course of treatment with the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), including the application of each treatment module and attention to challenging issues that arose in this case. Specific attention is devoted to the use of cognitive reappraisal in the UP for OCD, managing symptom accommodation by family members, and exposure in the context of intrusive thoughts and mental rituals.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Behavioral, Physiological, and Neurobiological Cognitive Regulation Alterations in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 797
Author(s):  
Sónia Ferreira ◽  
José Miguel Pêgo ◽  
Pedro Morgado
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Intrusive Thoughts ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Regulation ◽  
Frontoparietal Network ◽  
Pubmed Database

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by cognitive regulation deficits. However, the current literature has focused on executive functioning and emotional response impairments in this disorder. Herein, we conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological alterations in cognitive regulation in obsessive-compulsive patients using the PubMed database. Most of the studies included explored behavioral (distress, arousal, and frequency of intrusive thoughts) and neurobiological measures (brain activity and functional connectivity) using affective cognitive regulation paradigms. Our results pointed to the advantageous use of reappraisal and acceptance strategies in contrast to suppression to reduce distress and frequency of intrusive thoughts. Moreover, we observed alterations in frontoparietal network activity during cognitive regulation. Our conclusions are limited by the inclusion of underpowered studies with treated patients. Nonetheless, our findings support the OCD impairments in cognitive regulation of emotion and might help to improve current guidelines for cognitive therapy.

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