Association splitting

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Association splitting is a self-help technique for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). [1]

Contents

Technique

In this method, to provide competition to the existing negative associations typical of OCD (e.g. cancer = death), alternative neutral or positive associations are strengthened or newly established (e.g., cancer = zodiac sign). The strengthening of neutral or positive associations is aimed to weaken dysfunctional associations (fan-effect) [2] in order to attenuate compulsive urges (e.g., washing, checking).

The technique is based on semantic network models [3] as well as studies showing that mental associations in patients with OCD are restricted to the obsessive-compulsive meaning. [4] A systematic review found evidence for the efficacy of the technique. [5] The manual for the technique is available online in seven languages. A short instruction of the technique as well as a related method (attention splitting), which aims to attenuate the over-focusing of external stimuli, is part of a metacognitive self-help (myMCT), [6] [7] which leads to a significant improvement of OCD symptoms according to a meta-analysis. [8]

References

  1. ↑ Moritz, Steffen; Jelinek, Lena; Klinge, Ruth; Naber, Dieter (2007). "Fight Fire with Fireflies! Association Splitting: A Novel Cognitive Technique to Reduce Obsessive Thoughts". Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 35 (5): 631–635. doi:10.1017/S1352465807003931. ISSN   1469-1833.
  2. ↑ Anderson, John Robert (1974). "Retrieval of propositional information from long-term memory". Cognitive Psychology. 6 (4): 451–474. doi:10.1016/0010-0285(74)90021-8. hdl: 2027.42/22267 .
  3. ↑ Neely, James H. (1976). "Semantic priming and retrieval from lexical memory: Evidence for facilitatory and inhibitory processes". Memory & Cognition. 4 (5): 648–654. doi: 10.3758/BF03213230 . ISSN   0090-502X. PMID   21286993.
  4. ↑ Jelinek, Lena; Hauschildt, Marit; Hottenrott, Birgit; Kellner, Michael; Moritz, Steffen (2014). "Further evidence for biased semantic networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): when knives are no longer associated with buttering bread but only with stabbing people". Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 45 (4): 427–434. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2014.05.002. ISSN   1873-7943. PMID   24929782.
  5. ↑ Ching, Terence; Jelinek, Lena; Hauschildt, Marit; Williams, Monnica (2020). "Association Splitting for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review". Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews. 15 (4): 248–260. doi: 10.2174/2352096512666190912143311 . S2CID   203494403.
  6. ↑ Morit, Steffen; Jelinek, Lena; Hauschildt, Marit; Naber, Dieter (2010). "How to treat the untreated: effectiveness of a self-help metacognitive training program (myMCT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder". Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 12 (2): 209–220. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2010.12.2/smoritz. ISSN   1294-8322. PMC   3181961 . PMID   20623925.
  7. ↑ Moritz, Steffen; Bernardini, Juliette; Lion, Despina (2019-11-08). "Effects and side effects of a transdiagnostic bias modification intervention in a mixed sample with obsessive–compulsive and/or depressive symptoms—a randomized controlled trial". European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 270 (8): 1025–1036. doi:10.1007/s00406-019-01080-3. ISSN   0940-1334. PMID   31705201. S2CID   207939752.
  8. ↑ Philipp, Rebecca; Kriston, Levente; Lanio, Jana; Kühne, Franziska; Härter, Martin; Moritz, Steffen; Meister, Ramona (2019). "Effectiveness of metacognitive interventions for mental disorders in adults—A systematic review and meta-analysis (METACOG)". Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 26 (2): 227–240. doi:10.1002/cpp.2345. ISSN   1063-3995. PMID   30456821. S2CID   53872643.


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