Thompson Centre Pre-Treatment Wait Period Survey
Before Treatment Begins: Your Story, Your Voice

The Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre (“Thompson Centre”) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre offers specific expertise in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related spectrum disorders, including hoarding, hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking and body dysmorphic disorders for anyone over the age of 18. Their team offers a range of services including intensive live-in and day treatment programs, and out-patient services like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) group-based treatment.

The pre-treatment waiting period is the time between when a person is first accepted into an intensive OCD treatment program (such as live-in or day program) and when they actually begin treatment.

Pre-treatment waiting periods especially for severe OCD intensive treatment programs can be many weeks or months. We know that this has historically been a difficult time to access mental health supports and connection with others. In fact, this is often a vulnerable period for people that may increase anxiety.

Goals of the survey

You have been invited to take this survey to share your story and help us learn directly from people who have gone through (a) the experience of waiting for intensive OCD treatment and/or (b) are a caregiver or loved one to someone experiencing this wait period. Specifically, the goals of this survey are:

• To understand how waiting for intensive OCD treatment affected (or affects you) emotionally, mentally, and in your day-to-day life.
• To learn what kinds of support (if any) you received and accessed while waiting, and whether they helped.
• To gather your ideas and feedback on what could improve the pre-treatment wait period in the future.

We respect your confidentiality and the survey is designed to be answered anonymously. You may skip questions at any time.