Australian Journal of Psychology

From Lab to Clinic to Community: OCD Research Across the Implementation Spectrum

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling psychological disorder characterised by unwanted intrusions and repetitive behaviours that affects 1-2% of the global population. Often onsetting in adolescence, untreated OCD has significant personal, familial, and societal costs across the lifespan. Effective treatments for OCD exist, but there are major barriers around the globe with respect to access and implementation. Moreover, even our best OCD treatments do not work for everyone, likely due to an incomplete understanding of underlying mechanisms. By showcasing empirical research across the translation continuum, this Article Collection seeks to bridge the critical gap between theoretically-driven experimental research on OCD and real-world clinical and public health applications. We invite submissions that span the research continuum from basic science discoveries to translational and mental health literacy research at the population-level.

Effective treatment for OCD, primarily cognitive-behavioural approaches, were derived from laboratory-based OCD research on underlying mechanisms, including research conducted with analogue populations and clinical treatment-seeking samples. This crucial pillar of experimental research has led to better understanding of the maintaining factors and ongoing iterative development of psychological interventions. Building from this experimental work, studies of OCD treatments have helped refine key clinical strategies and enabled us to identify moderators of treatment. Yet despite these advances in our understanding of OCD, many individuals with OCD remain misdiagnosed or receive inadequate treatment, particularly in community and public health settings.

Current research often remains siloed within academic settings, limiting its translation into clinical practice and population-level interventions. This Collection addresses this urgent need by fostering dialogue between researchers, clinicians, and public health practitioners, and we ensure that all professionals involved in this dialogue can freely access this important work by hosting the Collection in an Open Access journal. By showcasing research that explicitly bridges laboratory findings with clinical applications and community implementation, we aim to accelerate the translation of OCD science into tangible improvements in patient outcomes and population health. This comprehensive approach is essential for reducing the global burden of OCD. Topics of interest include:

• Psychological mechanisms underlying OCD across the developmental spectrum
• OCD literacy
• Moderators of OCD
• Lived experiences of OCD
• Laboratory findings with clinical implications for OCD treatment
• Pilot studies of novel therapeutic approaches
• Implementation science studies in healthcare settings
• Population-based epidemiological research and screening initiatives
• Digital health innovations and scalable interventions
• Healthcare policy and service delivery models for OCD
• Community-based prevention and early intervention strategies
• Cross-cultural adaptation of evidence-based treatments

We welcome empirical studies from scientific discovery to clinical practice to population health impact.

Please contact Dr. MK Huffman at [email protected] with any queries about discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Jessica R. Grisham completed her research and clinical training at Boston University in the US before moving to Sydney, Australia. She is now a Professor in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney. Jessica is interested in the aetiology, maintenance, and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding disorder, and anxiety disorders. She and her students conduct research on processes that are implicated across these psychological disorders, including imagery, cognitive biases, and emotion regulation, and how to enhance existing treatments by better targeting these processes.

Kelvin Wong completed his research and clinical training at UNSW Sydney in 2017. He is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology. Kelvin is interested in using experimental methodology in understanding the factors that cause obsessive-compulsive symptoms. He is also interested in using novel technologies to enhance the effectiveness of existing psychological treatments for common mental illnesses.

Prof. Grisham and Dr. Wong declare no conflicts of interest regarding this work.