Remission Trajectories During Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A 2-Year Naturalistic Follow-Up Study

Background and Objectives: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has primarily been evaluated in short-term, high-intensity treatment protocols. However, remission trajectories during low-intensity CBT (LiCBT) delivered in routine clinical practice remain insufficiently characterised. The aim of this study was to examine 2-year remission trajectories among patients with OCD receiving LiCBT in routine outpatient care. Materials and Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of an ongoing prospective cohort of patients with OCD treated at Hyogo Medical University Hospital, Japan. Patients who had received inpatient treatment or high-intensity CBT were excluded. Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years. Patients were retrospectively classified into early remission, delayed remission, and non-remission groups according to remission timing.