Initial data on recollections of pathways to inflated responsibility beliefs in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
Despite literature establishing a relationship between maladaptive beliefs and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are few studies addressing how these beliefs develop. Salkovskis and colleagues (1999) proposed specific domains of childhood experiences leading to heightened beliefs regarding responsibility. Prior studies in students and individuals who just completed treatment for OCD have found support for this theory. However, we are not aware of published data from individuals with current OCD.


OBJECTIVE
This paper presents initial data from adults currently meeting criteria for OCD as well as both anxious and non-anxious controls.


METHODS
Recollections of childhood experiences, current OCD-related beliefs, and OCD symptoms were assessed using self-report measures in 39 individuals seeking treatment for OCD, 36 anxious controls and 39 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Initial data suggested that in individuals with OCD, increased reports of childhood exposure to overprotection and experiences where one's actions caused or influenced misfortune were associated with stronger OCD-related beliefs. Further, compared to community controls, individuals with OCD reported more childhood experiences where one's actions caused or influenced misfortune, though they did not differ from anxious controls in childhood responsibility experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
These initial findings provide minimal support for the proposed model of the development of inflated responsibility beliefs, and highlight the need for research examining the etiology of OCD related beliefs with updated models, larger samples, and ultimately using prospective methods.
Binghamton University,New York,USA.
Meredith E
ME
Coles
Skidmore College,New York,USA.
Casey A
CA
Schofield
Binghamton University,New York,USA.
Jacob A
JA
Nota
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003193:Compulsive Personality Disorder; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010553:Personality Development; D011594:Psychometrics; D057566:Self Report; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Obsessive-compulsive disorder; beliefs; cognitive models; etiology; responsibility