title: Interpersonal reassurance seeking in obsessive-compulsive disorder and its relationship with checking compulsions.
abstract: This study aimed to examine interpersonal reassurance seeking (IRS) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the relationship between IRS and checking compulsions. One hundred and forty adults with OCD underwent a comprehensive assessment, which included obtaining information on seeking reassurance from others because of their obsessions. Sixty-seven (47.9%) participants reported IRS. They exhibited more psychopathology than participants without IRS, tended to have a greater overall severity of OCD and were far more likely to have checking compulsions. Participants with IRS also had more severe obsessions, suggesting that IRS plays a role as an additional coping strategy when obsessions are more prominent. The severity of obsessions and the absence of obsessions about a need to collect and keep objects were independent predictors of IRS, whereas the presence of obsessions about unintentional harm and not being married or in a de facto relationship independently predicted checking compulsions. Although a close relationship exists between IRS and checking compulsions, these results suggest important differences, with implications for understanding the factors that contribute to IRS and checking compulsions.
authors: University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School-Nepean, Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney/Penrith, NSW, Australia. starcev@wahs.nsw.gov.au
authors: Vladan
authors: V
authors: Starcevic
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Berle
authors: Vlasios
authors: V
authors: Brakoulias
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Sammut
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Moses
authors: Denise
authors: D
authors: Milicevic
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Hannan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index