OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a mental-health condition involving obsessions and compulsions. It is a clinical condition rather than simply having occasional unwanted thoughts or personal preferences.
Explore OCD—also known as obsessive-compulsive disorder—in a focused mental-health context.
This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.
What may help
None of these options has good evidence yet. Best evidence first.
3 options:3 not enough evidence
YogapracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A review of randomized trials reported reduced OCD symptoms.
Open the Yoga pageAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)practiceNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
In an RCT of 176 adults with OCD, group ACT was non-inferior to CBT/ERP for reducing Y-BOCS symptom scores, with comparable quality of life. The comparison was with an active treatment, not a placebo or waitlist.
Open the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) pageBinaural BeatspracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A small 2024 randomized trial in 29 people found reduced OCD symptom severity after gamma binaural beats, measured with the Yale-Brown SS.
Open the Binaural Beats page
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What may help
Interventions recorded as helping with this condition3 listedThe best we have, but the evidence is still weak
- →PracticesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)CertaintyLowSourceClinical
In an RCT of 176 adults with OCD, group ACT was non-inferior to CBT/ERP for reducing Y-BOCS symptom scores, with comparable quality of life. The comparison was with an active treatment, not a placebo or waitlist.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Ocd
Open Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Study result
Group ACT was non-inferior to CBT/ERP in reducing Y-BOCS symptom scores in adults with OCD, with comparable quality of life; the abstract reports no placebo or waitlist comparison, so benefit is judged relative to an active treatment.
- →PracticesBinaural BeatsCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A small 2024 randomized trial in 29 people found reduced OCD symptom severity after gamma binaural beats, measured with the Yale-Brown SS.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Ocd
Open Binaural BeatsStudy result
Significant reduction in OCD symptom severity (Yale-Brown SS) after gamma binaural beats intervention in a small RCT.
What to avoid
Interventions recorded as making it worseNothing in this library is currently recorded as making OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a mental-health condition involving obsessions and compulsions. It is a clinical condition rather than simply having occasional unwanted thoughts or personal preferences. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Inositol, and Magnesium are discussed in relation to OCD, but the evidence differs in type and strength. These references do not establish one standard approach or confirm that an option will help every person with OCD.
Evidence-backed options
The options associated with OCD differ substantially in the type and strength of support behind them. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is described in animal research as a possible adjunct for better drug response, so its relevance to people with OCD is not established by the evidence presented here. Inositol is described in pharmacology references as having support from multiple RCTs at high doses (18g/day), with effects linked to serotonergic second messenger systems.
Magnesium has been considered in a clinical-condition context, but the available description emphasizes a paucity of studies and states that its role in OCD cannot presently be determined. The information provided does not specify treatment duration or how quickly effects appeared for any of these options, so those aspects cannot be compared. These findings are educational rather than treatment recommendations; anyone considering options for OCD should discuss them with a clinician.