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. 2025 Feb 16;4(1):e70065.
doi: 10.1002/pcn5.70065. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Movie- and mobile-therapy without therapist involvment for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Hissei Imai  1   2 , Yan Luo  3 , Satoshi Funada  4 , Takeshi Hashimoto  5 , Kunitaka Matsuishi  6 , Toko Takamatsu  7 , Yasuo Yoshihara  8 , Yayoi Hiraoka  9 , Yasutaka Mizui  10 , Yu Hayasaka  1   11 , Nozomi Takeshima  1   12 , Haruko Fukushima  6 , Kohei Matsuda  6 , Takashi Hashimoto  6 , Toshi A Furukawa  13
Affiliations

Movie- and mobile-therapy without therapist involvment for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Hissei Imai et al. PCN Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Self-help programs without therapist involvement for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are promising, but the high dropout rate is a significant issue. Our software, which incorporates entertainment elements, showed a completion rate of over 80% in a pre-post comparison study, with superior effectiveness. This is the protocol for a study that aims to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a video-based mobile application for OCD treatment through a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with two parallel group comparison, with assessors blinded to group allocation. The study will include outpatients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with OCD. The intervention group will receive a mobile-device-based intervention using an application grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy. The treatment period will be 8 weeks, during which 21 sessions will be conducted. Participants not allocated to the intervention group will be assigned to a waitlist control group for 8 weeks. The primary outcome for effectiveness will be the comparison of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. As the primary outcome for tolerability, participants in the intervention group who complete 80% or more of the sessions by the 8-week point will be defined as treatment completers, and the proportion of completers will be calculated. Assuming a 10% attrition rate, a total of 88 participants will be needed.

Results: Results will be presented according to the protocol.

Conclusions: If this study demonstrates that OCD can be improved through mobile-based self-help treatment without therapist involvement, it will become an important treatment option for patients.

Keywords: adult; anxiety disorders; cognitive behavioral therapy; information science category; psychotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Screen shots of new movie‐based mobile therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow diagram for study participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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