NCT07194473

ZeroOCD: Learn to Overcome Contamination OCD With Your Smartphone

ZeroOCD: Learn to Overcome Contamination OCD With Your Smartphone: An Augmented Reality Cognitive Behavioral Therapy App for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 189 (estimated)
• Sponsor: VU University of Amsterdam · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 64 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone-based augmented reality (AR) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app, called ZeroOCD, for individuals with elevated contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. The AR-CBT app will be compared to both an active control condition (manualized CBT via videoconferencing) and a waitlist control group.

Detailed description

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent and disabling condition, with contamination fears being one of its most common presentations. While Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a first-line treatment, many individuals face barriers to accessing it, such as cost, stigma, and availability of therapists. This multicenter trial, conducted in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and Switzerland, will recruit a total of 189 individuals experiencing contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Participants will be randomized to one of three study conditions (allocation ratio 2:2:1): The first group (n = 75) receives access to ZeroOCD, an augmented reality (AR) based smartphone application, which provides CBT and ERP for contamination fears, along with three therapist support sessions via videoconferencing. The second group (n = 75) receives weekly CBT for OCD via videoconferencing (nine sessions in total). The third group is a waitlist control group (n = 39), who will receive access to the smartphone application with minimal therapist support on request after 10 weeks in the study. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the ZeroOCD intervention compared to both a waitlist control and videoconferencing CBT, and to assess cost-effectiveness and usability. Assessments are conducted at baseline, 10 weeks post-randomization, and at 6-month follow-up for the intervention groups. Participants in the waitlist group complete assessments at baseline, 10 weeks post-randomization, and receive access to the ZeroOCD intervention 10 weeks after randomization. Further, the waitlist group will complete an assessment 20 weeks post-randomization. The study is a multicenter trial involving participants in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden.

Conditions

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	ZeroOCD	The ZeroOCD app contains the following components: psychoeducation, detecting obsessive thoughts, coping with obsessions, goal setting, fear curve explanation, exposure with AR, re-exposure with AR, exposure hierarchy, exposure in real-life, re-exposure in real life and relapse prevention
BEHAVIORAL	Videoconferencing CBT	Videoconferencing CBT contains the following chapters: psychoeducation, detecting obsessive thoughts, coping with obsessions, goal setting, fear curve explanation, exposure hierarchy, exposure in real-life, re-exposure in real life and relapse prevention

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-21
• Primary completion: 2027-05-01
• Completion: 2027-05-01
• First posted: 2025-09-26
• Last updated: 2025-09-26

Locations

4 sites across 4 countries: Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland