Metacognitive Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

August 5, 2026 updated by: Cornelia Exner, University of Leipzig

A Non-Inferiority Trial of Metacognitive Therapy Versus Exposure and Response Prevention for Individuals With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Cognitive behavior therapy is the most effective treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, the majority of treated patients remain symptomatic. The metacognitive therapy by Wells (1997) could achieve substantial gains in first pilot studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate this approach with a randomized controlled trial by comparing metacognitive therapy with exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to investigate metacognitive therapy by Wells (1997) with a randomized controlled trial by comparing metacognitive therapy with exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
74

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Germany
      • Leipzig, Germany
        • Leipzig University
      • Marburg, Germany
        • Philipps University Marburg

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Primary diagnosis: obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • German-speaking
  • Agreeing to participate, verified by completion of informed consent
  • Stable medication (at least 4 weeks)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or past diagnosis of substance dependence, psychosis, neurological conditions
  • Mental retardation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Metacognitive Therapy
Metacognitive Therapy for OCD according to Wells (1997)
Behavioral: Metacognitive Therapy
Metacognitive Therapy for OCD according to Wells (1997)
Experimental: Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD according to Kozak & Foa (1997)
Behavioral: Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD according to Kozak & Foa (1997)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Symptom Severity (Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale; Y-BOCS)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Symptom Severity (Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale; Y-BOCS)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Symptom Severity (Padua Inventory; PI)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Symptom Severity (Padua Inventory; PI)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in general psychopathology (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, SCL-90-R)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in general psychopathology (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, SCL-90-R)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Metacognitions (Metacognitions Questionnaire, short version, MCQ-30)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Metacognitions (Metacognitions Questionnaire, short version, MCQ-30)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Obsessive Beliefs (Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, OBQ)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Obsessive Beliefs (Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, OBQ)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Behavioral Avoidance (Behavioral Avoidance Test, BAT)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Behavioral Avoidance (Behavioral Avoidance Test, BAT)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Symptom Severity (Clinical Global Impressions; CGI)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in Symptom Severity (Clinical Global Impressions; CGI)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in psychosocial functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, GAF)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in psychosocial functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, GAF)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in quality of life (The World Health Organization Quality of Life, WHOQOL_BREF)
Time Frame: at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Change in quality of life (The World Health Organization Quality of Life, WHOQOL_BREF)
at pretest (admission), after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected average of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Difference in efficiency (length of treatment)
Time Frame: immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)
documentation of number of sessions
immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)
Difference in medical costs (based on the length of treatment)
Time Frame: immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)
Difference in medical costs (based on the length of treatment)
immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)
Difference in negative effects of psychotherapy (Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy, INEP)
Time Frame: after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected avarage of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Difference in negative effects of psychotherapy (Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy, INEP)
after completion of 6 therapeutic sessions (after an expected avarage of 6 weeks), at posttest after completion of 12 therapeutic sessions (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks), at follow-up (6 months after end of treatment)
Difference in satisfaction with the treatment
Time Frame: immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)
Difference in satisfaction with the treatment
immediately after completion of therapy (after an expected avarage of 12 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Leipzig

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
German Research Foundation
Philipps University Marburg

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Cornelia Exner, Prof. Dr., Leipzig University
  • Study Director: Alexandra Kleiman, Dr., Leipzig University
  • Principal Investigator: Julia A. Glombiewski, Dr., Philipps University Marburg
  • Study Director: Anke Haberkamp, Dr., Philipps University Marburg

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 1, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 30, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 10, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 16, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 5, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MCT_OCD

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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