An interventional study of Digital Mindfulness-Based Therapy and Routine Pharmacological Treatment in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, sponsored by Central South University. Recruiting at 2 sites in China. Open to participants aged 12 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-20.
Sponsored by Central South University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of digital mindfulness-based therapy in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder and to explore its possible psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms.
A total of 150 participants with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: digital mindfulness-based therapy, routine pharmacological treatment, or digital mindfulness-based therapy combined with routine pharmacological treatment.
The digital mindfulness-based therapy program will last for 6 weeks and will be delivered through a mobile mini-program using structured video and audio lessons, guided mindfulness practices, supervised weekly learning, and home practice. Participants in the pharmacological treatment group will receive routine pharmacological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, and participants in the combined group will receive both interventions.
Changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms, mindfulness, emotional symptoms, and other psychological outcomes will be assessed during treatment and follow-up. Heart rate variability will be assessed at baseline and weekly during the 6-week intervention. Electroencephalography will be assessed at baseline, at the end of the 6-week intervention, and at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments to explore neurophysiological changes associated with treatment.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disabling psychiatric condition characterized by persistent obsessions, compulsions, or both. Although pharmacological treatment and cognitive behavioral interventions are effective for many patients, some individuals continue to experience residual symptoms, poor treatment adherence, limited access to psychotherapy, or difficulty tolerating intensive symptom-focused interventions.
Digital mindfulness-based therapy may provide a more accessible and standardized psychological intervention. The intervention used in this study is a 6-week structured program delivered through a mobile mini-program. It includes psychoeducation, guided video and audio lessons, mindfulness meditation practices, supervised weekly learning, and home practice. The course covers mindful breathing, body scan, mindful movement, awareness of thoughts and emotions, acceptance-based practices, and compassion-related exercises.
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to digital mindfulness-based therapy, routine pharmacological treatment, or digital mindfulness-based therapy combined with routine pharmacological treatment. Clinical and psychological assessments will be conducted at baseline, weekly during the 6-week intervention, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention.
The primary clinical outcome will be the change in obsessive-compulsive symptom severity measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale from baseline to the end of the 6-week intervention. Repeated assessments during treatment and follow-up will be used to examine symptom trajectories and the maintenance of treatment effects. Secondary psychological outcomes will include changes in mindfulness, thought-action fusion, self-compassion, depression, anxiety, and other related psychological characteristics.
Heart rate variability will be assessed at baseline and weekly during the 6-week intervention using time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear measures to examine changes in autonomic nervous system regulation. Electroencephalography will be collected at baseline, at the end of the 6-week intervention, and at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments. Electroencephalographic measures will include the mean amplitude and latency of the N200 and P300 event-related potential components. These measures will be used to explore psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms associated with improvement in obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
635 studies on the registry are indexed under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; 166 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 45 across 520 interventional studies indexed under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Browse Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder studies →Central South University is the lead sponsor of 134 studies on the registry; 32 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants assigned to this arm will receive a 6-week digital mindfulness-based therapy program delivered through a mobile mini-program. The intervention includes structured video and audio lessons, guided mindfulness practices, supervised weekly learning, and home practice.
Behavioral: Digital Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Participants assigned to this arm will receive routine pharmacological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder as determined by the treating psychiatrist.
Drug: Routine Pharmacological Treatment
Participants assigned to this arm will receive both the 6-week digital mindfulness-based therapy program and routine pharmacological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Behavioral: Digital Mindfulness-Based Therapy · Drug: Routine Pharmacological Treatment
A 6-week structured digital mindfulness-based therapy program delivered through a mobile mini-program. The program includes psychoeducation, guided video and audio lessons, mindfulness meditation practices, supervised weekly learning, and home practice. The course covers mindful breathing, body scan, mindful movement, awareness of thoughts and emotions, acceptance-based practices, and compassion-related exercises.
Also known as: dMBT
Participants will receive routine pharmacological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder according to clinical evaluation and standard psychiatric practice. Medication type and dosage will be determined by the treating psychiatrist and recorded throughout the study.
Change in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Total Score
The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale is a clinician-administered scale used to assess the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It consists of 10 items assessing obsessions and compulsions. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity. The primary outcome is the change in total score from baseline to the end of the 6-week intervention.
Time frame: Baseline and week 6
Change in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Total Score During Treatment and Follow-up
The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale is a 10-item clinician-administered measure of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 40. Higher total scores indicate more severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms and therefore represent a worse outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed weekly during the 6-week intervention and at follow-up assessments to evaluate symptom trajectories and the maintenance of treatment effects.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Total and Subscale Scores
The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire is a 39-item self-report measure assessing five dimensions of mindfulness: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience. Each item is scored from 1 to 5. The total score ranges from 39 to 195, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of mindfulness and therefore representing a better outcome. Subscale scores range from 8 to 40 for observing, describing, acting with awareness, and nonjudging of inner experience, and from 7 to 35 for nonreactivity to inner experience. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in State Mindfulness Scale Total Score
The State Mindfulness Scale is a 21-item self-report measure assessing mindful awareness of bodily sensations and mental events during a recent period. Each item is scored from 1 to 5, resulting in a total score ranging from 21 to 105. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of state mindfulness and therefore represent a better outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in Heart Rate Variability
Heart rate variability will be assessed using time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear indices, including the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals, root mean square of successive differences, high-frequency power, low-frequency power, the low-frequency to high-frequency power ratio, SD1, and SD2. Changes from baseline will be evaluated weekly during the 6-week intervention.
Time frame: Baseline and weeks 1 through 6
Change in Electroencephalographic Event-Related Potential Measures
Electroencephalographic measures will include the mean amplitude and latency of the N200 and P300 event-related potential components. Changes from baseline will be evaluated at the end of the 6-week intervention and at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments.
Time frame: Baseline, week 6, and 3 and 6 months after the intervention
Change in Beck Depression Inventory-Ⅱ Total Score
The Beck Depression Inventory-II is a 21-item self-report measure of depressive symptom severity. Each item is scored from 0 to 3, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher total scores indicate greater depressive symptom severity and therefore represent a worse outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in State Anxiety Inventory Score
The State subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory is a 20-item self-report measure assessing the current intensity of anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored from 1 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 20 to 80. Higher total scores indicate greater state anxiety and therefore represent a worse outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in Thought-Action Fusion Scale Total Score
The Thought-Action Fusion Scale is a 19-item self-report measure assessing beliefs that having an unacceptable thought increases the likelihood of a related event occurring or is morally equivalent to carrying out the corresponding action. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 76. Higher total scores indicate stronger thought-action fusion beliefs and therefore represent a worse outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Change in Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form Mean Score
The Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form is a 12-item self-report measure assessing self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification. Each item is scored from 1 to 5. After reverse-scoring the negatively worded items, the mean of the 12 items is calculated, resulting in a mean score ranging from 1 to 5. Higher mean scores indicate higher levels of self-compassion and therefore represent a better outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed during treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline, weeks 1 through 6, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be made publicly available because the dataset contains sensitive clinical, psychological, and neurophysiological information, and the informed consent and ethics approval do not currently include provisions for public sharing of participant-level data. Deidentified aggregate data may be made available from the principal investigator upon reasonable request, subject to ethical approval and institutional data protection requirements.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Jul 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Sep 2027, 13 months after the start.
Of 234 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, half reached primary completion within 43 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 65. This study's planned 13 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 237 studies reached it within 43 months; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 65.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder →