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

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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