Participants used the app esTOCma

Participants did nothing

The intervention consists of playing a serious game, called esTOCma, on a mobile phone. In the game, players must use their knowledge to battle the stigma monster of OCD, complete 10 missions, and release 10 individuals who have been afflicted by the esTOCma monster, a creature that feeds on false beliefs and misinformation in society.

Score change on mental health literacy about OCD from baseline to after app completion in the experimental group, and no changes after 10 days in the control group. It will be assessed with the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHL) that was designed to assess level of knowledge about OCD, specifically the understanding of OCD and its treatment. Higher scores indicate higher knowledge.

Score change in social distance from baseline to after app completion (experimental group), or no changes on the control group after 10 days. It will be assessed with the Social Distance Scale (SDS) that employs a four-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 to 3, to assess an individual's willingness to interact with a person who has a mental disorder as depicted in the assigned OC vignette across seven different settings. Higher scores indicate a stronger desire for social distance.

Score change in stigma from baseline to app completion (estimation of 10 days) in the experimental group, and after 10 days in the control group. Stigma will be assessed by the Spanish version of the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) that assesses public stigma related to a vignette. Respondents rate 27 items on a Likert-type scale from 1 to 9. Elevated scores indicate greater public stigma.

Score change in help-seeking intention General after the intervention in the experimental group, and after 10 days in the control group. It will be assessed with the Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ) that comprises 10 items assessing the intention to seek help from various sources in the event of experiencing symptoms similar to those described in the assigned OC vignette. Higher scores indicate a greater tendency to seek help.

Score change in obsessive-compulsive symptoms after the intervention (experimental group) or after 10 days (control group). It will be assessed with the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), an 18-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess the severity of OC symptoms. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of distress associated with OC symptoms.

After using the app, the acceptability level will be measured with three multiple choice questiones developed ad-hoc. Higher scores indicated a higher level of acceptability of the application.