title: The relationship between adverse childhood experience and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and beliefs: the role of anxiety, depression, and experiential avoidance.
abstract: Current cognitive-behavioral models of the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggest that maladaptive appraisal of otherwise normal intrusive thoughts have their origins in early learning experiences. The present study investigated the relationship between adverse childhood experience and OCD symptoms and related dysfunctional beliefs in a general population using a structural equation modeling approach. The role of experiential avoidance and anxiety and depression were also explored in the model. Results indicated that adverse childhood experience was strongly associated with OCD symptoms and beliefs, but after controlling for anxiety and depression the relationship with OCD symptoms became non-significant and only a weak relationship with OCD beliefs remained. Experiential avoidance was significantly associated with OCD symptoms and beliefs and remained significant after controlling for anxiety and depression. Implications of these results in the context of a complete model of the development of OCD are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. ebriggs@nedgp.org.au
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001245:Association Learning; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D003469:Culture; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult