Assessment of obsessive beliefs in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder in comparison to healthy sample

Abstract

Hamidtaher Neshatdust, Karim Asgari, Mohammadreza Abedi and Razieh Izadi

Cognitive models of obsessive–compulsive disorder ( OCD) suggested that dysfunctional beliefs have important role in the etiology and maintenance of this disorder. However, empirical evidence in support of this notion is limited and inconsistent. The aim of current study was to compare scores obtained from the obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ-44) and its subscales in 59 patients with OCD and 54 healthy subjects. OBQ-44 developed by the Obsessive-Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG, 2001). All OCD patients were diagnosed using interview based on DSM-IV-TR and completed the Yale-brown obsessive-compulsive scale (YBOCS). Healthy sample was selected from family members of OCD patients. All subjects completed OBQ-44 and Beck depression inventory (BDI). Findings demonstrated that, consistent with predictions, that both OCD and healthy groups had significant differences in scores obtained from OBQ-44 (P<0/01) and its subscales. In addition, belief domains concerning perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty (PC subscale) explained 41% of difference between the two groups. Importance/Control of Thoughts (ICT subscale) and responsibility/overestimation of threatdomains (RT subscale) explained 17% and 5% of differences between two groups respectively. Possible explanations for these results were discussed.