A brief course of digitally delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of blood contamination-based obsessive-compulsive disorder: a structured case report

The lifetime prevalence of OCD in the UK is estimated to be between 1 in 100 and 1 in every 50 people. It is therefore necessary to explore innovations in practice to expand the reach of the gold standard therapeutic approaches of exposure with response prevention (ERP) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated such innovations with several services accommodating changes to routine practice by utilising digital platforms to provide videoconference-delivered therapy. Despite a growing evidence base demonstrating efficacy and scope for the use of videoconference-delivered CBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there remains qualitative research collated from clinicians which suggests that a lack of practitioner confidence and a low belief in positive outcomes are barriers to adopting remote therapy practices for clinicians. Therefore, this structured case report describes the assessment, formulation, intervention and outcome of an 11-week videoconference-delivered therapeutic intervention. Reflections are made regarding the use of the digital platform throughout the intervention, alongside the strengths and difficulties of applying videoconference-delivered CBT for OCD.