A Comparative Study of Obsessionality in Medical Students, Law Students, and Controls.
Understanding obsessive-compulsive behavior in medical students and law students is necessary for administrators and educators to properly work with students struggling with obsessionality. We aim to compare the differences in obsessive symptoms between medical students, law students and a control population. A total of 100 third-year medical students, 102 third-year law students and 103 control subjects drawn from the general population completed the Leyton Obsessional Inventory (LOI). Subjects were examined on all three sections (symptoms/traits, resistance and interference) of the LOI. Obsessional symptom scores for medical students (14.29 ± 7.33) and law students (13.65 ± 6.61) were significantly greater than for the control group (11.58 ± 7.45). Medical and law students were both more likely to report checking, order, routine and attention to detail as obsessive symptoms. Medical students were more likely than law students to possess the obsessive symptoms of cleanliness and conscientiousness, while law students were more likely than medical students to possess obsessive symptoms related to difficulty in making up their mind and doubting themselves. While medical students and law students are more obsessional than the control population, each group is more likely to report different obsessive symptoms.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC3077, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. mharries@uchicago.edu.
Michael D
MD
Harries
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA.
Suck Won
SW
Kim
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA.
Jon E
JE
Grant
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Law students; Medical students; Obessisionality; Obsessive-compulsive