Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Samira Masoumian, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2
Mohammad Reza Shaeiri, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
3
Assistant professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Mazandaran, Iran.
10.22098/jrp.2026.20088.1380
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to develop and validate a combined treatment protocol of Emotional Schema Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention (ESTERP) for patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and to examine its preliminary effectiveness on quality of life.
Method: This study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the ESTERP protocol was developed by combining EST and ERP based on a comprehensive literature review. The initial protocol was then evaluated by 8 experts to assess its content validity using Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI). In the second phase, the preliminary effectiveness of the protocol was examined using a single-subject experimental design on three patients with OCD. Participants were assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF at baseline, during treatment, and at follow-up.
Results: The ESTERP protocol demonstrated acceptable content validity, with an average expert rating of 8.8 out of 10. All CVR values were above 0.7, and CVI values exceeded 0.79 for all items, indicating good content validity. The preliminary implementation of the protocol on three patients showed promising improvements in quality of life across all four subscales. Visual analysis revealed positive trends and high percentages of non-overlapping data for most domains, suggesting the protocol's potential effectiveness.
Conclusion: The ESTERP protocol is a feasible and valid treatment approach for patients with OCD, with preliminary evidence supporting its effectiveness in improving quality of life. However, larger randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these findings.
Keywords
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