Religious OCD: Intersections of Religion and Mental Health

Abstract

Religion has been shown to be deeply intertwined with mental health, and yet its integration into mental health treatment remains limited. This case study examines the treatment of a client with Religious OCD (ROCD), initially aiming to investigate challenges in integration of religion into treatment, as well as personal and cultural factors that may shape said integration and treatment. Due to the client’s early drop-out from treatment, the study examined personal and cultural factors contributing to early drop-out in ROCD, through a thematic analysis of session notes, a transcript of a session recording, case formulation, and my reflective diary as the therapist. The study showed that some traits of OCD, such as intolerance of distress, traits of ROCD such as fear of losing faith, traits of the culture such as misinformation around mental health, and traits of the client such as confusion about her own subjective experience, may have contributed to early drop-out. Additionally, the role of the therapist is undeniable especially in terms of limited experience and potential countertransference. This highlights important areas to examine in later studies, and to potentially focus on in the training of novice therapists.