Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key data from the provided text, categorized for clarity. I’ll cover the study’s focus, methods, limitations, conclusions, acknowledgements, funding, data availability, conflicts of interest, and publication details.
1. study Focus & Purpose:
* Topic: The study investigates how individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) perceive and interact with digital technologies.
* Key Question: How do digital technologies both trigger and sustain OCD symptom patterns?
* Central Argument: The design of many digital systems mirrors the core dynamics of OCD (uncertainty, reassurance-seeking, control), blurring the line between the disorder and the platforms themselves.
2.Methods:
* Approach: Constructivist grounded theory. This means the researchers aimed to build a theory from the data, focusing on participants’ experiences and interpretations.
* Participants: Individuals diagnosed with OCD, depression, or bipolar disorder (with potential overlap/comorbidity).
* Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews.
* Data Analysis:
* Transcripts were reviewed for obsessive and compulsive behaviors.
* Interpretive alignment of participant accounts with established OCD domains (disturbing thoughts, symmetry).
* Analysis was conducted by a multidisciplinary team (primarily non-clinicians).
* Reflexivity was used – researchers acknowledged thier own biases and how they shaped the interpretation.
3. Limitations:
* Non-Clinical Team: the research team was primarily composed of non-clinicians, potentially impacting the depth of clinical interpretation.
* Interpretive Nature: The analysis relied on interpretive processes rather than structured, validated metrics.
* Disclosure Barriers: Potential ambiguity in the data could be due to participants’ limited insight or stigma surrounding OCD.
* Sampling: While appropriate for experiential inquiry, caution is needed when drawing boundaries between OCD and other forms of distress.
4.Conclusions & Implications:
* Digital Technologies & OCD: Digital technologies can both trigger and reinforce OCD symptoms.
* Clinical Implications: Clinicians should assess technology use as part of symptom formulation and help patients develop intentional (non-compulsive) engagement strategies.
* Design Implications: Designers and digital health developers should create interfaces that minimize reinforcement of compulsive behaviors and offer user control.
* Broader Outlook: OCD is increasingly expressed through the “architectures of modern attention,” requiring a collaborative approach from clinicians, researchers, and technologists to create supportive environments.
5. Acknowledgements:
* Dr. Rachel Ceasar (consultation on interview guide/protocol)
* Research Assistants: Natalie Bakken, Trevor Bailey, Jenna Kim, Dejan Shakya, Zoe Elliot (data collection, transcription, coding)
* Emma Garland (formatting, editing, manuscript review)
6. Funding:
* Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young investigator Award to ACF (32015). The funder had no role in the study.
7. Data Availability:
* Datasets are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
8. Conflicts of Interest:
* None declared.
9. AI Usage:
* Generative AI (GPT-4, GPT-4.5, OpenEvidence) was used for:
* Literature search and systematization
* Proofreading and editing
* Reformatting
* All AI use was under full human supervision.
* Authors take full responsibility for the manuscript.
10. Publication Details:
* journal: Journal of Medical Internet Research
* Publication Date: February 5, 2026
* Submission Date: September 30, 2025
* Peer Reviewers: Harsh Maheshwari, Robert Marshall
* Acceptance Date: December 17, 2025
* Edited by: Alicia Stone
* Copyright: Lucas Occhino-Moede, Kaitlyn Sulivan-Pascual, Kendall Phelan, Harrison Wang, Daniel mokhtar, Elisa liu, Erica Schug, Megan Mirkis, Thomas Baek, Tamerlane Visher, Ujjwal Pasupulety, Adam Charles frank.
* License: Creative Commons Attribution License (open access)
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