Individualized versus standardized therapy: A comparative evaluation with obsessive-compulsive patients

The aim of this study was to investigate whether individualized tailor‐made behavioural treatment based upon a problem analysis of each case was more effective than a standardized behavioural treatment protocol. Twenty‐two obsessive‐compulsive patients were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions: (1) tailor‐made cognitive behavioural therapy and (2) standardized exposure in vivo therapy. Treatment in both conditions led to significant improvements on obsessive‐compulsive targets and on the Maudsley Obsessional‐Compulsive Inventory. Improvement generalized to general levels of psychopathology, depressed mood and social anxiety. Contrary to expectations the individualized treatment was not more effective than the standardized exposure therapy.