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Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is gaining renewed interest as a treatment for various mental disorders. However, there has been limited Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation in PAP clinical trials, signaling the need for culturally consonant communication about the efficacy and safety of PAP. We randomly assigned 321 BIPOC and 301 non-Hispanic White participants to four different modes of psychoeducation (didactic, visual, narrative, hope-based) and tested effects on likelihood of seeking and referring others to PAP using ANCOVAS. The influences of different psychoeducation components on these likelihoods were also tested using hierarchical regression modeling. Regardless of psychoeducation mode, BIPOC participants were more likely to seek PAP than non-Hispanic White participants after psychoeducation. Further, information on physical safety and success rate of PAP uniquely predicted BIPOC participants' likelihood of seeking and referring others to PAP after psychoeducation. Our findings suggest that once provided psychoeducation, BIPOC participants are receptive to seeking or referring others to PAP. BIPOC participants also appear to prioritize physical safety and rate of success of PAP in these decisions. Stigma against PAP is likely not the primary barrier to recruitment of BIPOC individuals into PAP trials. Instead, researchers should conduct more psychoeducational outreach to diversify future trials.

Objectives: The present study utilized an intersectional framework to examine if two forms of gendered racism, psychological emasculation and messages about Asian American men being undesirable partners, were associated with Asian American men's nicotine use. We also examined the potential mediating roles of two racial identity statuses, racial conformity and racial immersion., Methods: A sample of 356 Asian American men living in the United States of America (USA) completed a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics containing measures assessing the aforementioned constructs of interest. The primary analysis examined separate parallel mediation models, situating psychological emasculation and undesirable partner as separate independent variables, racial conformity and racial immersion as parallel mediators, nicotine use as the outcome, and age and employment as covariates., Results: In separate parallel mediation models, the links between psychological emasculation and undesirable partner on one hand, and nicotine use on the other, were completely mediated only by racial conformity, and not significantly mediated by racial immersion. Specifically, greater endorsement of gendered racism was associated with greater conformity with (and internalization of) these gendered racist beliefs, which in turn were associated with greater nicotine use., Conclusion: Researchers and practitioners may consider racial conformity as an interventional target to ameliorate Asian American men's nicotine use. Future studies should continue to examine other culturally relevant and/or potentially protective constructs (e.g., on the basis of gender, race, and its intersection) that may mitigate Asian American men's nicotine use., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: There is a need for more research on minority stress theory (MST) with sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents of color, because of their disproportionate risk for depression., Method: We recruited 1,627 SGM adolescents of color in the United States to complete measures assessing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) climate, LGBTQ microaggressions within one's ethnoracial community, internalized LGBTQ stigma, stress management ability, and depressive symptoms. Using structural equation modeling, a hybrid measurement-structural model was tested, indicating good model fit., Results: Multiple significant indirect pathways linking LGBTQ climate and depressive symptoms emerged. A less positive LGBTQ climate was associated with more microaggression-related stress, more internalized LGBTQ stigma, and worse stress management ability, all of which were associated with greater depressive symptoms. A serial mediation with more microaggression-related stress being associated with greater internalized LGBTQ stigma approached significance., Conclusions: Our findings generally support MST processes in terms of depressive symptoms in SGM adolescents of color, suggesting that psychosocial interventions targeting these processes may have meaningful implications for the mental health of this vulnerable group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: To date, few randomized controlled trials of psilocybin with non-directive support exist for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Results and participant feedback from an interim analysis of an ongoing single-dose trial (NCT03356483) converged on the possibility of administering a higher fixed dose and/or more doses of psilocybin in future trials for presumably greater benefits., Objectives: This trial aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility, tolerability, and clinical effects of two doses of psilocybin paired with non-directive support in the treatment of OCD. This trial also seeks to examine whether two doses of psilocybin lead to greater OCD symptom reduction than a single dose, and to elucidate psychological mechanisms underlying the effects of psilocybin on OCD., Design: A randomized (1:1), waitlist-controlled design with blinded ratings will be used to examine the effects of two doses of oral psilocybin paired with non-directive support vs. waitlist control on OCD symptoms. An adaptive dose selection strategy will be implemented (i.e., first dose: 25 mg; second dose: 25 or 30 mg)., Methods and Analysis: This single-site trial will enroll 30 adult participants with treatment-refractory OCD. Aside from safety, feasibility, and tolerability metrics, primary outcomes include OCD symptoms assessed on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II). A blinded independent rater will assess primary outcomes at baseline and the primary endpoint at the end of the second dosing week. Participants will be followed up to 12 months post-second dosing. Participants randomized to waitlist will be rescreened after 7 weeks post-randomization, and begin their delayed treatment phase thereafter if still eligible., Ethics: Written informed consent will be obtained from participants. The institutional review board has approved this trial (protocol v. 1.7; HIC #2000032623)., Discussion: This study seeks to advance our ability to treat refractory OCD, and catalyze future research seeking to optimize the process of psilocybin treatment for OCD through understanding relevant psychological mechanisms. Clinical trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05370911., Competing Interests: TC serves as a continuing faculty member in the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training Program offered by Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI), and consults for Transcend Therapeutics. CP serves/has served as a consultant for Biohaven, Teva, Lundbeck, Brainsway, Ceruvia Lifesciences, Transcend Therapeutics, Nobilis Therapeutics, and Freedom Biotech, receives royalties and/or honoraria from Oxford University Press and Elsevier, and has filed a patent on the use of neurofeedback in the treatment of anxiety, which is not relevant to the current work. BK is co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor for Transcend Therapeutics and has consulted for Ceruvia Lifesciences and Lobe Sciences. CP and BK have filed a patent on the use of psilocybin in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (#US17/466,111). The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ching, Amoroso, Bohner, D’Amico, Eilbott, Entezar, Fitzpatrick, Fram, Grazioplene, Hokanson, Kichuk, Martins, Patel, Schaer, Shnayder, Witherow, Pittenger and Kelmendi.)

There is a paucity of research on hookup motives among LGBTQ+ young adults, despite the importance of such sexual encounters for the development of LGBTQ+ young adults' identities. In this study, we examined the hookup motives of a diverse sample of LGBTQ+ young adults through in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviews were conducted with 51 LGBTQ+ young adults across college campuses at three sites in North America. We asked participants, " What sorts of things motivate you to hook up ?" and " Why do you hook up ?" Six distinct hookup motives emerged from participants' responses. They included: a) pleasure/enhancement , b) intimacy and social-relationship motives , c) self-affirmation , d) coping , e) cultural norms and easy access , and f) multifaceted motives . While some of our themes cohered with previously identified hookup motives among heterosexual samples, LGBTQ+ young adults identified new and distinct motives that illustrate major differences between their hookup experiences and that of heterosexual young adults. For example, LGBTQ+ young adults were motivated to pleasure their hookup partner, not just themselves. They were also motivated by cultural norms within the queer community, easy access to hookup partners , and multifaceted motives . There is a need for data-driven ways to conceptualize hookup motives among LGBTQ+ young adults, instead of unquestioningly using heterosexual templates for understanding why LGBTQ+ individuals hook up.

To date, psychosocial and interpersonal protective factors such as family connectedness have received little attention in studies of eating behaviors among sexual minority Asian Americans. Therefore, we investigated associations of family connectedness and two types of eating behavior regulation motives and the moderating role of individualism in these associations among 134 sexual minority Asian American young adults. Linear regression models assessed the main and interaction effects of family connectedness and individualism on introjected and identified eating behavior regulation motives. We observed a significant interaction effect between family connectedness and individualism only on introjected regulation. For participants with low levels of individualism, those who reported high levels of family connectedness had lower scores for introjected regulation of eating behavior. The findings of this study highlight the importance of examining strengths related to sexual minority Asian Americans by demonstrating the important role family connectedness plays in eating behavior regulation motives, particularly for those with lower individualism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is essential to understand the effects of specific therapy elements (i.e., mechanisms of change) to optimize the efficacy of available treatments. There are, however, existing challenges in the assessment and analysis of constructs of interest. The present study aims to improve research on the effects of specific therapy elements using the example of the Metacognitive Training for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (MCT-OCD) intervention. Specifically, we introduce an innovative analytical method to identify predictors of treatment outcome and expand the assessment of common factors (e.g., coping expectations). A sample of 50 day- and inpatients with OCD was assessed before and after participation in an 8-week MCT-OCD programme. We investigated within-session change in scores on revised questionnaires administered before and after each session. Linear mixed models (for session-effects) and lasso regression (for prediction analyses) were used to analyse data. The revised assessments and data analyses showed greater improvement in dysfunctional (meta-)cognitive beliefs over the time of the intervention and within sessions compared to previous MCT-OCD studies. Some predictors, for example, improvement in coping expectation after the module on overestimation of threat for treatment outcome, were identified. The present study contributed to a better understanding of how to assess and analyse data of a modular intervention and demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of different analytic approaches. Moreover, the analyses provided a deeper understanding of the specific effects and mechanisms of change of MCT-OCD modules, which can be refined and examined in future studies., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the present study, 43 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients receiving cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT)/exposure and response prevention (ERP) in an intensive residential treatment program responded to an open-ended question about causal attributions (i.e., personal explanations for the etiology of their OCD) at baseline and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) at baseline and treatment discharge. Baseline self-reported responses about causal attributions were qualitatively coded to derive predictors (biological/genetic, environmental, psychological, and interactional attributions). Predictors were entered into a binary logistic regression with Y-BOCS responder status (at least partial response [≥25% pre-post reduction] vs. no response) as the outcome. After controlling for length of stay and number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, only biological/genetic attributions uniquely predicted increased odds of treatment response, odds ratio = 10.04, p = 0.03. Biological/genetic attributions may reduce self-blame for symptoms or increase expectancy violation likelihood during treatment, thereby improving odds of response. Clinicians should assess OCD patients' causal attributions as part of routine clinical care to hopefully optimize treatment outcomes., (© 2022 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Psilocybin may help treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To date, only one open-label study of psilocybin for OCD exists, necessitating further investigation with a randomized controlled design. The neural correlates of psilocybin's effects on OCD have also not been studied., Objectives: This first-of-its-kind trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of psilocybin in the treatment of OCD, provide preliminary evidence on the effects of psilocybin on OCD symptoms, and elucidate neural mechanisms that may mediate psilocybin's effects on OCD., Design: We use a randomized (1:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-crossover design to examine the clinical and neural effects of either a single dose of oral psilocybin (0.25 mg/kg) or active placebo-control agent (250 mg of niacin) on OCD symptoms., Methods and Analysis: We are enrolling 30 adult participants at a single site in Connecticut, USA who have failed at least one trial of standard care treatment (medication/psychotherapy) for OCD. All participants will also receive unstructured, non-directive psychological support during visits. Aside from safety, primary outcomes include OCD symptoms over the past 24 h, assessed by the Acute Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Visual Analog Scale ratings. These are collected by blinded, independent raters at baseline and the primary endpoint of 48 h post-dosing. Total follow-up is 12 weeks post-dosing. Resting state neuroimaging data will be collected at baseline and primary endpoint. Participants randomized to placebo will be offered the chance to return for an open-label dose of 0.25 mg/kg., Ethics Statement: All participants will be required to provide written informed consent. The trial (protocol v. 5.2) was approved by the institutional review board (HIC #2000020355) and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03356483)., Discussion: This study may represent an advance in our ability to treat refractory OCD, and pave the way for future studies of neurobiological mechanisms of OCD that may respond to psilocybin., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following conflict of interests. TC serves as a continuing faculty member in the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training Program offered by Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI), and consults for Transcend Therapeutics. CP serves/has served as a consultant for Biohaven, Teva, Lundbeck, Brainsway, Ceruvia Lifesciences, Transcend Therapeutics, Nobilis Therapeutics, and Freedom Biotech, receives royalties and/or honoraria from Oxford University Press and Elsevier, and has filed a patent on the use of neurofeedback in the treatment of anxiety, which is not relevant to the current work. BK is co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor for Transcend Therapeutics and has consulted for Ceruvia Lifesciences and Lobe Sciences. CP and BK have filed a patent on the use of psilocybin in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (#US17/466,111). The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ching, Grazioplene, Bohner, Kichuk, DePalmer, D’Amico, Eilbott, Jankovsky, Burke, Hokanson, Martins, Witherow, Patel, Amoroso, Schaer, Pittenger and Kelmendi.)

There is a need to understand ways in which Asians in North America attempt to heal from racial trauma, given their well-documented high risk of exposure and associated adverse mental health outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis of Asians from a survey of people of color in North America who have consumed psychedelics in response to racial discrimination. Ninety-two Asian participants ( M age  = 30.25, SD  = 6.83) completed online questions assessing demographics, racial discrimination frequency, characteristics and acute effects of their most meaningful psychedelic experience, change in racial trauma symptoms 30 days before and after their psychedelic experience, and current ethnic identity. Participants reported improvements in racial trauma symptoms ( d = 0.52). Bootstrapped mediation analyses controlling for racial discrimination frequency and psychedelic dose and duration indicated complete mediation of the link between higher intensity of insightful experiences and stronger ethnic identity, via improvements in racial trauma symptoms (indirect effect = .08, 95% CI = [.004, .19]). There was partial mediation for the independent variable of lower intensity of challenging experiences (indirect effect = -.08, 95% CI = [-.18, -.005]). This study highlights the central role of higher-intensity insightful experiences and both higher- and lower-intensity challenging experiences in alleviating racial trauma symptoms and promoting ethnic identity among Asians in North America who have experienced racial discrimination. Future research should attune to culturally relevant outcomes of psychedelic use in response to racial discrimination among Asians.

In racialized societies, race divides people, prioritizes some groups over others, and directly impacts opportunities and outcomes in life. These missed opportunities and altered outcomes can be rectified only through the deliberate dismantling of explicit, implicit, and systemic patterns of injustice. Racial problems cannot be corrected merely by the good wishes of individuals-purposeful actions and interventions are required. To create equitable systems, civil courage is vital. Civil courage differs from other forms of courage, as it is directed at social change. People who demonstrate civil courage are aware of the negative consequences and social costs but choose to persist based on a moral imperative. After defining allyship and providing contemporary and historical examples of civil courage, this paper explains the difficulties and impediments inherent in implementing racial justice. To enable growth and change, we introduce ten practical exercises based on cognitive-behavioral approaches to help individuals increase their awareness and ability to demonstrate racial justice allyship in alignment with valued behaviors. We explain how these exercises can be utilized to change thinking patterns, why the exercises can be difficult, and how psychologists and others might make use of them to expand the capacity for civil courage in the service of racial justice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Previous research has shown that intrusive thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often focus on emotionally significant aspects of individuals' lives (e.g., values and beliefs). The current study sought to expand our understanding of OC symptoms related to sexual orientation (SO-OC symptoms) by investigating the roles of homophobia (i.e., negative attitudes, affect, and behaviors toward individuals with a same-gender orientation) and disgust propensity and sensitivity. A total of 592 self-identified heterosexual college students were recruited to complete measures of homophobia, disgust propensity and sensitivity, and SO-OC symptoms. Results of separate parallel mediation analyses indicated that the relationships between homophobic affect/attitudes and avoidance/aggression on one hand, and SO-OC symptoms on the other, were partially mediated specifically by disgust sensitivity, after controlling for gender. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, including how homophobia can be conceptualized as a disgust response in the treatment of SO-OC symptoms, as well as how other constructs of potential interest (sexual and moral disgust, religiosity, conservative sexual ideology) can be examined in future research.

Prior research suggests that estradiol may moderate fear extinction in animal models and humans. Based on these findings, estradiol may also moderate cognitive reappraisal, which is theorized to be an important mechanism of change in extinction-based therapy (exposure therapy). We compared cognitive restructuring (CR) skills acquisition and outcome between women with primary anxiety disorders who had high versus low estradiol using a standardized CR task that closely resembles clinical practice. As a proxy of CR outcome, we assessed subjective distress ratings before and after the task and psychophysiological arousal (heart rate and electrodermal activity) throughout the task. Contrary to predictions, results showed that CR skills acquisition and outcome did not differ between the high and low estradiol groups. Although both groups demonstrated reductions in negative affect and skin conductance responses during the CR task, suggesting that participants were able to acquire CR skills and use them effectively to regulate distress, the groups did not differ with respect to CR ability or outcome. The findings suggest that estradiol may not moderate cognitive reappraisal, and may have more of an effect on basic habituation and extinction processes instead., (© Copyright 2021 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

The relationships between sexual trauma, cognitive appraisals, and subtypes of sexual intrusive thoughts have not been adequately examined in the context of obsessive-compulsive concerns. We employed variations of a moderated mediation model to test these relationships, situating sexual trauma as the predictor, sexual intrusive thoughts as the outcome, cognitive appraisals of these thoughts as the mediator, and subtypes of sexual intrusive thoughts as the moderator of the predictor-mediator link. Based on the continuum perspective, 180 individuals (159 females, 21 males) with or without a history of sexual trauma were recruited to complete measures assessing their most distressing sexual intrusion, cognitive appraisals, and severity of sexual intrusive thoughts. The results indicated that individuals with a history of sexual trauma reported more intrusions with sexual harm content, greater distress with sexual intrusions, more dysfunctional appraisals, and more severe sexual intrusions. The trauma-sexual intrusions link was also separately mediated by responsibility and importance/control appraisals (and when combined), with medium-to-large effect sizes, although this model was not moderated by whether intrusions contained sexual harm content or not. These findings shed light on the posttraumatic effects of sexual violence on sexual intrusions, their appraisals, and level of distress and functional impairment associated with sexual intrusive thoughts, with key clinical and research implications.

Little is known about obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in Asian Americans. Past research has shown elevations in certain symptom dimensions when compared with White Americans, but there have not been any studies on cultural mechanisms for these differences. In this study, we examined whether ethnic identity mediated differences in severity of various OC symptom dimensions between Asian and White Americans. A total of 453 participants (79 Asian American, 374 non-Hispanic White) completed measures of ethnic identity and OC symptoms. Separate boostrapped mediation analyses were conducted to determine the indirect (i.e., mediation) effect of ethnoracial group membership on different OC symptom dimensions, via ethnic identity. There was significant evidence of mediation across the majority of OC subscales examined. Asian Americans reported stronger ethnic identity than their White counterparts, which in turn predicted more severe contamination obsessions and washing compulsions, harm-related intrusions, checking, neutralizing, as well as symmetry/ordering symptoms. This study is the first to demonstrate an exacerbating function of ethnic identity for OC symptoms among Asian Americans, contrary to some previous evidence of its protective role for overall mental health among ethnoracial minorities. More research is needed to test and validate hypotheses about why ethnic identity mediated group differences in OC symptoms., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Prior research has demonstrated a clear relationship between experiences of racial microaggressions and various indicators of psychological unwellness. One concern with these findings is that the role of negative affectivity, considered a marker of neuroticism, has not been considered. Negative affectivity has previously been correlated to experiences of racial discrimination and psychological unwellness and has been suggested as a cause of the observed relationship between microaggressions and psychopathology. We examined the relationships between self-reported frequency of experiences of microaggressions and several mental health outcomes (i.e., anxiety [Beck Anxiety Inventory], stress [General Ethnic and Discrimination Scale], and trauma symptoms [Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale]) in 177 African American and European American college students, controlling for negative affectivity (the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) and gender. Results indicated that African Americans experience more racial discrimination than European Americans. Negative affectivity in African Americans appears to be significantly related to some but not all perceptions of the experience of discrimination. A strong relationship between racial mistreatment and symptoms of psychopathology was evident, even after controlling for negative affectivity. In summary, African Americans experience clinically measurable anxiety, stress, and trauma symptoms as a result of racial mistreatment, which cannot be wholly explained by individual differences in negative affectivity. Future work should examine additional factors in these relationships, and targeted interventions should be developed to help those suffering as a result of racial mistreatment and to reduce microaggressions.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes many symptom presentations, which creates unique diagnostic challenges. Fears surrounding one's sexual orientation are common within OCD (also called SO-OCD), but SO-OCD is consistently misdiagnosed by physicians and psychologists. To address this issue, we describe the development of a self-report measure for assessing SO-OCD to help distinguish OCD from distress caused by a sexual orientation identity crisis. The current paper details two studies that established the psychometric properties and clinical utility of this measure. In Study 1, the factor structure, validity, and reliability were examined for the measure's 12 items in a sample of 1,673 university students. The results revealed a two-factor solution for the measure (Factor 1: Transformation Fears; Factor 2: Somatic Checking) and preliminary evidence of validity and reliability. In Study 2, the measure was tested with LGBTQ and heterosexual community samples and clinical samples of individuals with SO-OCD and other types of OCD. The two-factor solution and evidence of validity and reliability were supported in these samples. Cut-off points were established to distinguish between community members and SO-OCD sufferers, as well as between those experiencing SO-OCD and other types of OCD. Limitations and future directions are discussed., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Disgust has been shown to perform a "disease-avoidance" function in contamination fears. However, no studies have examined the relevance of disgust to obsessive-compulsive (OC) concerns about sexual orientation (e.g., fear of one's sexual orientation transforming against one's will, and compulsive avoidance of same-sex and/or gay or lesbian individuals to prevent that from happening). Therefore, we investigated whether the specific domain of contamination-based disgust (i.e., evoked by the perceived threat of transmission of essences between individuals) predicted OC concerns about sexual orientation, and whether this effect was moderated/amplified by obsessive beliefs, in evaluation of a "sexual orientation transformation-avoidance" function. We recruited 283 self-identified heterosexual college students (152 females, 131 males; mean age = 20.88 years, SD = 3.19) who completed three measures assessing disgust, obsessive beliefs, and OC concerns about sexual orientation. Results showed that contamination-based disgust (β = .17), responsibility/threat overestimation beliefs (β = .15), and their interaction (β = .17) each uniquely predicted OC concerns about sexual orientation, ts = 2.22, 2.50, and 2.90, ps < .05. Post hoc probing indicated that high contamination-based disgust accompanied by strong responsibility/threat overestimation beliefs predicted more severe OC concerns about sexual orientation, β = .48, t = 3.24, p < .001. The present study, therefore, provided preliminary evidence for a "sexual orientation transformation-avoidance" process underlying OC concerns about sexual orientation in heterosexual college students, which is facilitated by contamination-based disgust, and exacerbated by responsibility/threat overestimation beliefs. Treatment for OC concerns about sexual orientation should target such beliefs.

There is little research on treating symptoms of sexual orientation-obsessive-compulsive disorder (SO-OCD). Semantic networks represent a new cognitive approach for understanding cognitive mechanisms of SO-OCD. Specifically, we tested whether the self-help cognitive technique of association splitting (AS) developed from this approach would be efficacious in reducing SO-OCD symptoms and thought suppression. One hundred and twenty heterosexual undergraduates (82 females, 38 males) were randomly assigned to either the AS or waitlist control group. At baseline and four weeks later, participants completed items assessing SO-OCD symptoms, measures of sexual obsessions and thought suppression, and an association task in which they generated associations to different cue words. Generated associations were coded based on SO-OCD relevance and emotional valence. Results indicated reductions in SO-OCD-relevant associations across levels of emotional valence and SO-OCD-irrelevant negative associations, and increases in SO-OCD-irrelevant positive and neutral associations, only in the AS group. Furthermore, there were reductions in SO-OCD symptoms, sexual obsessions, and thought suppression only in the AS group. Importantly, these findings were obtained with overall large effect sizes. AS appears to be an efficacious self-help technique in reducing SO-OCD symptoms, sexual obsessions, and thought suppression. Clinical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Fears of sexually harming children are fairly common among clients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet these symptoms are largely unrecognized and frequently misdiagnosed by mental health professionals. Specifically, clients with pedophilia-themed OCD (P-OCD) experience excessive worries and distressing intrusive thoughts about being sexually attracted to, and sexually violating, children. Expressing these concerns may provoke misjudgments from uninformed mental health professionals that a client is presenting instead with pedophilic disorder. This misdiagnosis and subsequent improper interventions can then contribute to increased fear, anxiety, and in many cases, depression, in affected clients. Therefore, it is imperative that mental health professionals first possess a good understanding of this common manifestation of OCD. As such, in this article, we described obsessions and compulsions typical of P-OCD, in order to inform the reader of the distinctive differences between P-OCD and pedophilic disorder. Information about how to assess for P-OCD symptoms is then provided, followed by suggestions on how to tailor aspects of exposure and response prevention to treat this specific form of OCD.

The effects of psychoeducation on thought-action fusion (TAF) beliefs are understudied. We tested whether adding mock electroencephalography (EEG)-based computer trials that induce cognitive dissonance about TAF beliefs, prior to TAF-specific psychoeducation, would enhance and maintain the reduction of TAF beliefs. An unselected sample of 140 Singaporean undergraduates (89 females, 51 males) was randomly assigned to a combined intervention, TAF-specific psychoeducation-only, or control group. Self-report measures of TAF beliefs and cognitive dissonance about TAF beliefs were administered 4 times in the initial session, and once at 1-month follow-up. Findings included the following: (a) greatest cognitive dissonance about TAF beliefs in the initial session with the combined intervention; (b) greater reduction in TAF beliefs in the initial session in both intervention groups, compared with the control group; and (c) incremental reduction in TAF beliefs in the initial session and maintenance at 1-month follow-up with the combined intervention. Cognitive dissonance should be investigated extensively in other aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) procedures for TAF beliefs (e.g., behavioral experiments, exposure, and response prevention) to determine whether it contributes to therapeutic change with these techniques. Our combined intervention procedure should also be examined for relevant psychopathology (e.g., obsessive-compulsive symptoms).