title: Familial predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions (contamination/cleaning and symmetry/ordering) in a nonclinical sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition, which can be expressed as various symptom dimensions, including contamination/cleaning and symmetry/ordering. Previous research suggests that these obsessive-compulsive (OC) dimensions may show specific associations with certain traits such as disgust sensitivity and "not just right" experiences (NJREs), but whether a familial association between these variables exists is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to test whether parental disgust sensitivity and NJREs predicted contamination/cleaning and symmetry/ordering respectively in the offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Contamination/cleaning, symmetry/ordering, disgust sensitivity, NJREs, and negative affect were assessed in a nonclinical sample (n = 184 triads comprising 184 female undergraduates and their parents). Associations between parental and offspring variables were investigated by means of bivariate correlations and multiple regression models, controlling for relevant variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither disgust sensitivity nor NJREs in parents were significant predictors of contamination/cleaning or symmetry/ordering in the offspring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined with previous research, our results suggest that the best familial predictors of OC symptom dimensions are the same symptom dimensions themselves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taberner
authors.forename: Miquel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fullana
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Caseras
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pertusa
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bados
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Bree
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torrubia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055815:Young Adult