Obsessive thoughts can be categorized into two subtypes, autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions. Although it has been investigated that each subtype associates with different maladaptive coping strategies, no studies have yet empirically compared the effectiveness of adaptive coping strategies on autogenous and reactive obsessions.

It is hypothesized that acceptance, which is a core therapeutic principle of acceptance-based cognitive therapy (ACT), is more effective on autogenous obsessions, whereas response suppression as a principle of exposure and response prevention (ERP) has a stronger effect on reactive obsessions.

To compare the effectiveness of two coping strategies (acceptance and response suppression) on autogenous and reactive obsessions.

A total of 164 undergraduate students completed questionnaires for obsessional thoughts and coping strategies. According to the most distressing thought, sixty subjects (n = 30 with autogenous obsession, n = 30 with reactive obsession) were randomly assigned to two groups differing in treatment conditions. Individual psychoeducation and practice were performed for four different groups (2 obsessional subtypes × 2 coping strategies).

Repeated measure ANOVA demonstrated that the autogenous obsessional group showed greater distress reduction after acceptance treatment than response suppression treatment, although its effect was not statistically significant. However, the reactive obsessional group did not show the interaction effect between distress reduction and the two coping strategies.

The results suggest that coping strategies have differential effects on distress reduction of obsessional subtypes. Different therapeutic approaches may need to be offered to individuals with autogenous and reactive obsessions.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.