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Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2022 June; 16(2):e118186.
Published online 2022 July 3.
doi: 10.5812/ijpbs-118186.
Case Report
Effectiveness of Technology-Based Interventions for Scrupulous
Obsessions and Compulsions: A Case Report
Sepideh Soltanmohammadlou
1
, Abbas Ramezani Farani
1, *
, Seyed Vahid Shariat
1
and Mojtaba Habibi
2
1
Department of Behavioral Science and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Health Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Psychiatric Institute), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Department of Behavioral Science and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. Email: ramezanifarani@gmail.com
Received 2021 July 25; Revised 2022 April 26; Accepted 2022 May 28.
Abstract
Introduction: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most important well-known treatments for obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), including the scrupulosity type. Technology-based interventions can increase the effects of CBT by different meth-
ods. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of online cognitive therapy in a Muslim patient with scrupulosity em-
ploying in-vivo exposure, with the therapist virtually present and using a treatment application.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 37-year-old female diagnosed with scrupulosity in OCD by a psychiatrist. The patient’s symp-
toms were measured at baseline for 6 weeks then underwent 12 sessions of CBT with the therapist present via video call. All the
exposure sessions were conducted in real situations triggering thoughts and compulsions. The therapy application was also used
between sessions as an assistive treatment tool.
Conclusions: The results of this treatment model showed a decrease in obsessive symptoms and beliefs and anxiety and depression
symptoms at the end of treatment and after a 3-month follow-up. Moreover, the quality of life was improved in the patient.
Keywords: Remote Therapy, Scrupulosity, Technology-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Application
1. Introduction
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the
most prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorders (1).
The symptoms of OCD are extremely broad and varied.
Scrupulosity is a type of this disorder in which there is
an obsessional fear of thinking and behaving against reli-
gious beliefs and God’s commandments (2).
The OCD treatment guidelines and research have intro-
duced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with an empha-
sis on exposure and response prevention (ERP) as the psy-
chological intervention of choice for OCD, including the
scrupulosity type (2, 3). However, the nature of treatments
received by OCD patients does not fulfill the minimum re-
quirements for CBT treatment, and many sessions do not
include exposure, with an emphasis on homework (4). In
addition, it has been shown that 18% - 30% of patients re-
ceived treatment with exposure techniques (in 2 years) (4).
Furthermore, treatment barriers, including the patients’
feeling of shame, fear of being labeled, and the lack of ac-
cess to mental health professionals, can contribute to not
seeking appropriate treatments (5). According to these
findings and due to the discrepancy between the preva-
lence of this disorder and the number of individuals re-
ceiving treatment, mental health services are still inappro-
priate and insufficient despite abundant knowledge about
OCD treatment (4).
Technology-based interventions can greatly decrease
the limitations mentioned above. For instance, we hope
different evidence-based treatments become remotely
available to patients using these treatments (6). In addi-
tion, technology-based interventions, especially those us-
ing applications, provide objective feedback for the client
about contribution to problems and also a response to
treatment and raise ERP treatment success and the qual-
ity of CBT with an emphasis on ERP (7). The effect of
technology-based interventions on OCD has also been ex-
amined. These studies have pointed out the limitations of
the literature and the need for further examining the ef-
ficacy of these types of interventions for OCD treatment
(8). However, there have been no studies on the impact
of technology-based interventions on scrupulous patients.
According to our previous investigations, only limited re-
search has confirmed the influence of CBT on reducing the
symptoms of scrupulosity patients (9, 10).
Farhood et al. demonstrated that although CBT re-
duced obsessive symptoms in both groups of patients with
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