July 2022 Meeting – Cultural Sensitivity and OCD

The July meeting featured Dr. Kristen Fitch and Dr. Melissa DuFrene speaking on Cultural Sensitivity and OCD. They reviewed some of the previous treatment methods (e.g., habituation, ACT, exposure-response-prevention), noting these methods are successful in 70% of clients. They asked… what about the other 30%?

They noted that fear associations remain intact, and so you may help a person with OCD to change their behaviors… but this may not change the emotional states that trigger these behaviors.

Drs. DuFrene and Fitch noted the “hexaflex” model from ACT can be adapted to include the client’s values (e.g., “OCD keeps me from enjoying my time with my children, and time with them is really important to me” or “I don’t want to have this difficult conversation, but I am because I care about this person”). Including the client’s values can make treatment more culturally sensitive. They explained further that experiences of discrimination… fears of experiencing of discrimination… fears of confirming stereotypes… and fears of losing one’s support… can make the experience of OCD very different. Including the client’s cultural experiences can make treatment more culturally informed.

They applied the model to ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities, and reviewed some of the statistics for OCD diagnosis and outcomes for each group (e.g., sexual minorities are nine times more likely to be diagnosed with OCD). They noted that psychoeducation and a justice-oriented approach to psychotherapy could improve treatment outcomes for that other 30%.

Drs. DuFrene and Fitch closed their presentation by recommending the work of Dr. Williams and Dr. Davis Goodwine as good resources to understand the experience of OCD for ethnic minorities.