A systematic review on how to combine exposure and response prevention with add-ons for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, ERP's distressful nature may be too demanding for some patients, resulting in low engagement with treatment or even dropout. The current review aimed to summarize and categorize the components of ERP plus add-on protocols. Studies were deemed eligible when an ERP treatment was combined with a psychological add-on in the treatment of adult obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. Nineteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Add-ons were divided into eight categories: acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive therapy-based interventions, family accommodation, inhibitory learning theory strategies, inhibitory training, mindfulness-based techniques, and motivational interviewing. Studies were divided into two methods of combining ERP with an add-on: the additive and the integrative format. These types of protocols may offer a feasible way for clinicians to personalize, according to the patient's needs, an otherwise structured treatment, increasing its responsiveness. Future studies, besides studying the efficacy of these adaptations, should also assess whether clinicians who are reluctant to use exposure therapy are more willing to employ the technique in an ERP plus add-on protocol. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).