Brief culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD
Official title: Brief Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CaCBT) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomised Controlled Trial From Pakistan
Run by Pakistan Association of Cognitive Therapists · NCT07232823 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try a short, culturally adapted form of cognitive behavioral therapy to help adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 166 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Pakistan Association of Cognitive Therapists Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 20, 2024 |
| Main results expected | December 10, 2025 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2025 |
| Registry record updated | November 18, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07232823 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 or older with a clinical diagnosis of OCD who can read and write at an elementary level and do not have active psychosis, significant cognitive impairment, or alcohol/drug dependence are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with active psychosis, significant cognitive impairment (for example dementia or intellectual disability), or current alcohol or drug dependence are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional project delivers a brief, manualized form of culturally adapted CBT (Ca-CBT) to adults diagnosed with OCD at a center in Lahore, Pakistan. Participants must be 18 or older, literate at an elementary level, and may have comorbid depression or anxiety, while those with active psychosis, significant cognitive impairment, or substance dependence are excluded. Treatment is shortened and adapted to local culture and delivered by trained therapists, with symptom severity and functioning measured before and after the intervention using standardized clinical scales. The aim is to determine whether this brief, locally tailored CBT reduces OCD symptoms and is feasible to deliver in a low- to middle-income setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a shorter, culturally appropriate CBT option that reduces OCD symptoms and is easier to deliver in low-resource settings.
How similar studies have gone: Standard CBT has strong evidence for treating OCD and preliminary work suggests culturally adapted CBT can work in non-Western settings, but rigorous trials in low- and middle-income countries remain limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants aged 18 years or above * Participants with at least an elementary level of reading and writing * Clinical diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, either alone or comorbid with depression or anxiety Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with excessive use of alcohol or drugs (using ICD-10 RDC for alcohol or drug abuse or dependence) * Those with significant cognitive impairment (for example, intellectual disability or dementia) * Or those with OCD comorbid active psychosis
Where it's running
-
Professional Association of Cognitive Therapy
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Farooq Naeem — Professional Association of Cognitive Therapy
- Study coordinator: Muhammad Aslam
- Email: Muhammadaslam139@gmail.com
- Phone: +92 301 7170139
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Using CBT to help kids with OCD stop medication safely
This study is testing if kids and teens with OCD can safely stop their medication after getting extra help from online therapy.
-
Low-intensity focused ultrasound targeting the subthalamic nucleus for OCD
A short test is being done to see if a wearable, non-invasive ultrasound device can safely and tolerably help adults with OCD by targeting a brain region called the subthalamic nucleus.
-
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for OCD Delivered Online
This study tests a synchronous online MBCT program for adults with OCD to see if it is acceptable and feasible and to explore links between biological markers, OCD severity, and treatment response.
-
Targeted brain stimulation for OCD: test of tTIS on nucleus accumbens
This study tests whether targeted temporal interference stimulation of the nucleus accumbens can help reduce obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adults with OCD, compared with sham stimulation.
-
Anxiety Skills Study: See if video skill training plus therapy helps people with anxiety
This study tests whether a brief video-based skill training can help people with anxiety as well as four therapy sessions, and how durable the effects are over a year.
-
AttunE LIFU for OCD: a non-invasive brain stimulation study
This trial tests ATTN201, a wearable ultrasound headband, to see if it helps adults with OCD compared to a sham treatment.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.