Purpose: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a widespread disorder that causes a lot of suffering for both the affected person and those around him. The aim of the present study was to compare dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on rumination and guilt in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Materials and Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the research consisted of those who referred to Artiman Psychological Center in Mashhad in 2022, who received the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research sample included 45 people who were purposefully selected and randomly divided into three groups: dialectical behavior therapy (n=15), cognitive behavioral therapy (n=15) and control group (n=15). The tools used include structured clinical interview to diagnose obsessive-compulsive disorder, Ruminative Responses Scale (RSS) questionnaire, and Kugler and Jones guilt questionnaire. The intervention was held as a group during 11 weekly sessions for 90 minutes.
Findings: The results of data analysis showed that both dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy reduced guilt feelings (p < 0.001) and rumination (p < 0.001). The results of comparing the effectiveness of two treatments showed that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than dialectical behavior therapy (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: These results indicate the use of cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in working with patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and both treatments are promising as evidence-based interventions for working with people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder.