title: Symptom Dimensions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Beliefs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition with a few major symptom dimensions. These symptom dimensions are thought to have unique clinical and neurobiological correlates. There seems to be a specific relation between OCD symptom dimensions and obsessive beliefs, but the findings are not consistent across studies. There is also a paucity of literature from culturally diverse settings. One of the reasons for the varied findings could be due to the method employed in measuring OCD symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we examined the relation between symptom dimensions and obsessive beliefs using the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire respectively in 75 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition OCD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perfectionism predicted both aggressive and symmetry dimensions whereas responsibility beliefs predicted sexual and religious dimensions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that certain obsessive beliefs predicted certain OCD symptom dimensions, but results are not entirely consistent with the published literature suggesting the possibility of cross-cultural variations. That the symptom dimensions have unique belief domains support the argument that symptom dimensions could be targeted to reduce the heterogeneity in etiological and treatment studies of OCD. Therapeutic interventions may have to aim at modifying unique belief domains underlying certain symptom dimensions rather than having generic cognitive-behavioral strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Trinette
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Mahendra P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Kandavel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thennarasu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Y C Janardhan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Reddy
keywords: Obsessive beliefs; obsessive-compulsive disorder; symptom dimensions