Adapting Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction for the Treatment of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Case Report

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness characterized by intrusive and distressing thoughts, images, or impulses (i.e., obsessions) and by repetitive mental or behavioral acts (i.e., compulsions) performed to prevent or reduce distress. Efficacious treatments for OCD include psychotropic medications and exposure and response prevention (EX/RP). The following case report presents an individual diagnosed with OCD who refused treatment with medication or EX/RP and was treated using an adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. After an 8-week adapted MBSR program, the endpoint evaluation revealed clinically significant reductions in symptoms of OCD as well as an increased capacity to evoke a state of mindfulness. Discussion includes generalizability of these findings, potential mechanisms of action, and the role of an adapted MBSR in the treatment of OCD.