0000000000146305
AUTHOR
Gemma García-soriano
Clinical obsessions in obsessive–compulsive patients and obsession-relevant intrusive thoughts in non-clinical, depressed and anxious subjects: Where are the differences?
Contemporary cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assume that clinical obsessions evolve from some modalities of intrusive thoughts (ITs) that are experienced by the vast majority of the population. These approaches also consider that the differences between "abnormal" obsessions and "normal" ITs rely on quantitative parameters rather than qualitative. The present paper examines the frequency, contents, emotional impact, consequences, cognitive appraisals and control strategies associated with clinical obsessions in a group of 31 OCD patients compared with the obsession-relevant ITs in three control groups: 22 depressed patients, 31 non-obsessive anxious patients, and 30 …
Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Eating Disorder Patients: A Differential Analysis
The present study aims to compare the unwanted intrusions experienced by obsessive–compulsive (OCD) and eating disorder (ED) patients, their appraisals, and their control strategies and analyse which variables predict the intrusions' disruption and emotional disturbance in each group. Seventy-nine OCD and 177 ED patients completed two equivalent self-reports designed to assess OCD-related and ED-related intrusions, their dysfunctional appraisals, and associated control strategies. OCD and ED patients experienced intrusions with comparable frequency and emotional disturbance, but OCD patients experienced greater disruption. Differences appeared between groups on some appraisals and control s…
Satisfacción y usabilidad de una app para luchar contra el estigma asociado al TOC y aumentar los conocimientos del mismo
Introducción: El Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo es un trastorno incapacitante en el que existe una elevada demora en la búsqueda de ayuda profesional. Se ha desarrollado una aplicación móvil (app) llamada esTOCma con el objetivo de aumentar el conocimiento sobre el TOC y dónde buscar ayuda y reducir el estigma asociado. Objetivo: Evaluar el grado de satisfacción y usabilidad asociados a la app esTOCma. Método: 36 personas (Edad M=32,67; DT=12,26; 54,8% mujeres) usaron la aplicación durante una media 10,36 días (DT=10,22). Tras su uso completaron el cuestionario de usabilidad SUS (System Usability Scale) y una escala de opinión sobre la app. Un 39% de la muestra indicó tener formación en salu…
The relationship between obsessions and the self: Feared and actual self-descriptions in a clinical obsessive-compulsive disorder sample.
Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit the relevance of the self in OCD, although the nature of this association is still unclear. We aimed to explore actual and feared selves and its association with obsessions and intrusions in a group of OCD patients. A group of 58 patients with OCD identified their most upsetting obsession and intrusion (non-clinical obsession) experienced in the past three months. These cognitions were classified as either moral-based or autogenous (obsessions n=32; intrusions n=26) or non-moral-based or reactive, depending on their content. Next, patients described their actual self and their feared self, that is, the person they feared being or…
Dysfunctional beliefs about health and illness: a family study
espanolLos modelos cognitivos sobre la hipocondria postulan que las experiencias tempranas con la enfermedad promueven el desarrollo de creencias disfuncionales sobre la enfermedad. Estas creencias pueden permanecer latentes y activarse ante un incidente critico. Los estudios publicados aportan datos que avalan de manera indirecta estos planteamientos. Teniendo en cuenta que en el nucleo familiar primario se comparten experiencias sobre la enfermedad, examinamos la relacion entre las creencias disfuncionales que los progenitores y sus descendientes mantienen sobre la enfermedad y los pensamientos, tales como la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y la sobreestimacion de la amenaza, y las relaci…
Dysfunctional beliefs as mediators between illness-related intrusive thoughts and health anxiety symptoms.
AbstractBackground:Cognitive behavioural models of hypochondriasis assume that dysfunctional illness-related beliefs are involved in the genesis and maintenance of the disorder. The role that other more general dysfunctional beliefs about thoughts play in this disorder has also been highlighted. Internal triggers such as illness-related intrusive thoughts could activate these beliefs.Aim:The present paper examines whether general dysfunctional beliefs about distressing thoughts, such as intolerance of uncertainty, over-estimation of threat, and thought-action fusion-likelihood, mediate between illness-related intrusive thoughts and health anxiety symptoms.Method:A group of participants comp…
Desarrollo y presentación de una entrevista para la evaluación de los pensamientos ansiosos en niños
Presentación de la entrevista semiestructurada CATI desarrollada para la evaluación de intrusiones de contenido obsesivo en menores
Illness‐related intrusive thoughts and illness anxiety disorder
Introduction Intrusive thoughts about health threats (illness-ITs) are a potential cognitive risk factor for the development and maintenance of illness anxiety disorder (IAD). This study analyzes the dimensionality of illness-ITs from normalcy to psychopathology, and it evaluates whether the appraisals instigated by the Its mediate between these thoughts and IAD symptoms. Methods Two groups of individuals participated in the study and completed the Illness Intrusive Thoughts Inventory and the Whiteley Index. The first group was composed of 446 non-clinical community participants. Of them, 264 individuals (68.6% women; Mage = 30.03 [SD = 13.83]) reported having experienced an upsetting illne…
Efficacy of a mental health app intervention on family members of OCD patients
INTRODUCION. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a high cost for families, who frequently take part in compulsions, reassure patients, assume part of their responsibilities, try to conceal the disorder, and show stigmatizing attitudes (Ociskova et al., 2013; Stengler-Wenzke et al., 2004). esTOCma is a gamified mental health mobile application (app) that offers information about OCD, suggests where to find help, and helps fight stigmatizing attitudes. The objective of this study is to test esTOCma efficacy in a sample of OCD family members. Specifically, we will analyze if, after using the app, there is a change in the following variables: mental health literacy about OCD, stigma and soc…
Mental health literacy and stigma associated with obsessive-compulsive content dimensions: effectiveness of an intervention via smartphone.
Introduction. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious and disabling mental illness that presents a high delay in help seeking. Various studies suggest that stigma and mental health literacy (MHL) are two very important factors that favour this delay and that they vary depending on OCD symptoms. Considering that, the aim of this study is to, firstly, analyze the stigma and OCD literacy in relation to the different obsessive-compulsive symptom contents in the general population and, secondly, assess the impact of an intervention carried out through a mobile application (esTOCma) that has been gamified to decrease stigma and increase OCD literacy. Method. A group of 357 people (39.66 …
Validation of the Spanish version of the Fear of Self Questionnaire
Abstract Cognitive models, from both the appraisal and inferential confusion perspectives, propose that the self is a relevant variable in the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive (OC) disorder. In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Fear of Self Questionnaire (FSQ) and analyzed the role of the fear of self (the sort of person we are afraid of becoming) as a predictor of OC beliefs and symptoms. A sample of 359 non-clinical participants completed a set of questionnaires, including the FSQ. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original one-factor solution for both the FSQ-8- and 20-item versions. The FSQ demonstrated excelle…
Are the dysfunctional beliefs that predict worry different from those that predict obsessions?
Chronic worry present in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and obsessions characteristic of the Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are cognitive phenomena that share some features, but they also differ on others. Based on current cognitive approaches, dysfunctional meta-cognitive beliefs underlie the development and/or maintenance of both GAD and OCD. However, to date, there has been little empirical evidence about the differences between the beliefs that predict the occurrence of obsessions and those that predict worry. This study focuses on the search for these differences and examines to what extent worry and obsessions are associated with a similar or different pattern of dysfunctiona…
Usability and feasibility of esTOCma, a gamified mobile application to reduce stigma and increase mental health literacy associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Introduction. Stigma is one of the main reasons why patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) delay seeking help and treatment. The esTOCma e-health app is a serious game that has been developed to overcome this stigma and lack of knowledge about OCD by providing tools for seeking professional help. The objective of this study is to analyze the usability, satisfaction and dropouts reason associated with the use of the esTOCma app. Method. 555 participants with an average age 39.24 years (SD= 15.78) (64.3% women) assessed the usability of the app after using it until the game was over (days of use Mean (SD) = 17.78 (15.58); range: 0 to 95 days). Participants assessed the usability th…
Part 2. They scare because we care: The relationship between obsessive intrusive thoughts and appraisals and control strategies across 15 cities
Abstract Cognitive models of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) purport that obsessions are normal intrusive thoughts that are misappraised as significant, leading to negative emotional responses and maladaptive attempts to control the thoughts and related emotions. This paper utilised a large multi-national dataset of interview data regarding intrusive thoughts, to investigate three questions related to the cognitive model of OCD and to its stability across cultures. First, the paper aimed to investigate the implicit yet-hitherto-untested assumption of cognitive models that misappraisals and control strategies for intrusive thoughts relate similarly across cultures. Second, this study aim…
Positive mood induction and well being
The aim of this study is to test the role of consecutive positive mood induction virtual procedures on satisfaction of life of people with subclinical levels of sadness and/or anxiety. This is a work in progress and positive effects of mood induction on satisfaction and well being are expected.
Dysfunctional belief domains related to obsessive-compulsive disorder: a further examination of their dimensionality and specificity
International consensus has been achieved on the existence of several dysfunctional beliefs underlying the development and/or maintenance of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, questions such as the dimensionality of the belief domains and the existence of OCD-specific dysfunctional beliefs still remain inconclusive. The present paper addresses these topics through two different studies. Study 1: A series of confirmatory factor analyses (N= 573 non-clinical subjects) were carried out on the Obsessive Beliefs Spanish Inventory-Revised (OBSI-R), designed to assess dysfunctional beliefs hypothetically related to OCD. An eight-factor model emerged as the best factorial soluti…
Cuando el TOC es el producto y la narrativa su mejor representante
Introducción: Según el modelo inferencial para el Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo (TOC), la confusión inferencial da lugar a la narrativa TOC, o discurso interno que el paciente construy a través de la confusión inferencial y cuya función principal es dar credibilidad y fuerza a la duda obsesiva. Por tanto, cuanto más elaborada sea dicha narrativa, más creíble parecerá la obsesión. Las narrativas TOC y las narrativas de las intrusiones (dudas no clínicas) compartirían herramientas de razonamiento generales pero además, las narrativas que subyacen a las obsesiones presentarían unas herramientas de razonamiento específicas del TOC. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: (1) analizar el nivel de …
¿Puede una aplicación móvil disminuir el estigma asociado al Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo y aumentar la intención de búsqueda de ayuda?
Introducción: El Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo (TOC) causa gran malestar e interferencia en la vida de las personas, sin embargo, existe una elevada demora en la búsqueda de ayuda profesional. Entre las principales causas de dicha demora destacan la falta de conocimientos sobre el trastorno (Mental Health Literacy) y el estigma asociado al mismo. Objetivo: Explorar si tras el uso de una aplicación móvil (app) de e-salud llamada esTOCma se modifican los niveles de estigma asociados al TOC, la distancia social, e intención de búsqueda de ayuda profesional. Método: 36 personas (Edad M=32,67; DT=12,26; 54,8% mujeres) completaron los siguientes instrumentos de evaluación antes y después del uso …
Transforming a class from the Psychology degree into a <em>flipped classroom</em>
La flipped classroom es una metodologia docente que trata de modificar la dinamica de la clase tradicional, en la que el alumnado estudia la materia antes de asistir a clase (fundamentalmente mediante Tecnologias de la Informacion y Comunicacion), y el tiempo en el aula se emplea para clarificar contenidos y realizar actividades significativas, con el apoyo continuado del profesorado. Estudios recientes muestran que se han obtenido resultados positivos respecto a la utilizacion de esta metodologia. Sin embargo, la implantacion de esta metodologia en el grado en Psicologia es escasa. Por ello, el objetivo de este trabajo fue aplicar la metodologia flipped classroom en un tema de la asignatur…
Contenidos obsesivos, miedo a la enfermedad y asco
Recently, data about the associations between disgust and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have show some inconsistencies, which might be due to the differential role of disgust sensitivity and propensity, the infl uence of other variables, or the heterogeneity of OCD contents. This study examines the relationships among disgust sensitivity and propensity, fear of illness, and different obsessional contents in university students (N = 114). Disgust propensity was the most relevant variable in predicting Doubt/checking contents (19% of explained variance, EV), and fear of illness and disgust sensitivity were the most relevant variables predicting Contamination (EV: 21% and 8%, respectivel…
Enhancing mental health literacy in obsessive-compulsive disorder and reducing stigma via smartphone: A randomized controlled trial protocol.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling disorder that can be successfully treated. However, individuals with OCD do not seek or delay seeking treatment. This delay may be explained by poor mental health literacy and stigmatizing attitudes toward OCD in community. In order to work on these variables, a gamified mental health mobile application (app) called esTOCma has been developed. The purpose of this study is to describe the protocol for a study to test the efficacy of esTOCma, increasing mental health literacy and help-seeking intention, reducing the stigmatizing attitudes and social distance suffered by people with OCD, as well as the distress associated with obsessive-compul…
Part 1—You can run but you can't hide: Intrusive thoughts on six continents
Abstract Most cognitive approaches for understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rest on the assumption that nearly everyone experiences unwanted intrusive thoughts, images and impulses from time to time. These theories argue that the intrusions themselves are not problematic, unless they are misinterpreted and/or attempts are made to control them in maladaptive and/or unrealistic ways. Early research has shown unwanted intrusions to be present in the overwhelming majority of participants assessed, although this work was limited in that it took place largely in the US, the UK and other ‘westernised’ or ‘developed’ locations. We employed the International Intrusive Thoug…
Aprendizaje cooperativo on-line a través de foros para la resolución de casos de psicopatología
[EN] Human behaviour and its diversity make it very difficult to distinguish between the abnormal and the normal human behaviour and feelings. Through the subject of Psychopathology, students must acquire theoretical knowledge and apply it in practice to identify psychopathological symptoms and signs in clinical cases. The aim of this work is to present the results of the use of a forum as a cooperative learning space for the resolution of practical cases. The sample is composed of two groups (N1=51; N2=43, both in afternoon timetable) belonging to the subject of Psychopathology of the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Valencia. The teaching material applied was the same except for…
Do children experience obsessional intrusive thoughts?
Introduction. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling condition that often begins in childhood. Cognitive behavioural therapy for paediatric OCD is effective and often considered the treatment of choice. While cognitive models of OCD have improved our understanding and interventions in adult populations, it has scarcely been investigated in children. Those models assume that obsessions are extreme variants of unwanted obsessional intrusive thoughts (OITs), which are almost universally experienced in the general populations. This assumption has received empirical support in adult samples but there are almost no studies analysing the presence of OITs in preadolescents. Method. 49 c…
The Spanish version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R): Reliability, validity, diagnostic accuracy, and sensitivity to treatment effects in clinical samples
Abstract This study examines the psychometric properties of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) in Spanish and Argentinean samples. 90 OCD patients, 31 with non-OCD anxiety disorders and 84 non-clinical individuals completed the Spanish version of the OCI-R along with other OCD, depression, anxiety, and OCD-related cognition measures. The OCI-R showed significant associations with both OCD severity and other OCD symptom measures, beyond the relationships with depression, anxiety, and worry. The questionnaire also differentiated OCD from other anxiety disorders, except on the ordering and hoarding subscales. The relationships between the OCI-R subscales and dysfunctional belie…
Discovering what is hidden: The role of non-ritualized covert neutralizing strategies in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
Abstract Background and objectives Neutralizing strategies are secondary to obsessions and an additional cause of distress and interference, but they have received little attention in theories and research, especially the non-ritualized covert strategies. This study focuses on the comparative impact of non-ritualized covert and compulsive-overt strategies in the course of OCD. Methods Eighty-two OCD adult patients completed measures assessing distress, interference, appraisals and overt and covert neutralizing strategies to control obsessions. Thirty-eight patients who had completed cognitive therapy were assessed again after treatment. Results Only overt compulsions are associated with OCD…
How do children interpret and manage their disturbing obsessive intrusive thoughts?
Introduction. Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder rest on three main assumptions: a) obsessive intrusive thoughts (OITs) are almost universal; b) negative appraisals of OITs lead to emotional distress and interference; and c) unhelpful control strategies contribute to the escalation of OITs into clinical obsessions. These assumptions have received ample empirical support from research with adult samples, while studies in children are promising but scarce. The aim of this study was to describe the emotional distress, interference, negative appraisals and control efforts of those children that report having experienced recent and frequent OITs. Method. 49 children (28 girls, mea…
The Spanish validation of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory: Psychometric properties and clinical utility
The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) is a widely used self-report instrument to evaluate health anxiety. To assess the SHAI's factor structure, psychometric properties, and accuracy in differentiating Spanish non-clinical individuals from patients with severe health anxiety or hypochondriasis.A total of 342 community participants (61.6% women;The original two-factor structure was selected as the best structure, based on its parsimony and empirical support (Factor 1: Illness likelihood; Factor 2: Negative consequences of illness). Moreover, the Spanish version of the SHAI demonstrated good construct and concurrent and discriminant validity, and internal consistency. A cutoff of 40.5 (to…
¿Mis obsesiones dicen algo sobre quién soy o sobre quién temo ser?
Introducción: Los modelos cognitivo-conductuales para el Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo (TOC) reconocen la relevancia del sí mismo en el TOC, aunque debido a la escasa investigación que existe sobre el tema, la naturaleza específica de esta relación sigue siendo una desconocida. En este estudio nos propusimos: (1) explorar elsí mismo real y el sí mismo temidode un grupo de pacientes con TOC; (2) describir la relación entre ambos tipos de identidad y la intrusión y obsesión más molesta de cada paciente, teniendo en cuenta el contenido de las mismas (autógeno versus reactivo). Método: Un grupo de 58 pacientes con diagnóstico de TOC identificó su obsesión más molesta y una intrusión que había e…
Part 3. A question of perspective: The association between intrusive thoughts and obsessionality in 11 countries
Abstract A key assumption of contemporary cognitive-behavioral models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is that obsessional thoughts exist on a continuum with “normal” unwanted intrusive thoughts. Recently, however, some authors have challenged this notion. The present study aimed to clarify (a) the extent that different types of intrusive thoughts in nonclinical individuals are associated with obsessionality, (b) the relative contribution of frequency, distress and control ratings to obsessionality, and (c) the extent that existing findings (primarily from North American or European samples) generalize to other countries in the world. Five hundred and fifty-four non clinical individua…
Which Facets of Mindfulness Protect Individuals from the Negative Experiences of Obsessive Intrusive Thoughts?
Obsessive intrusive thoughts (OITs) are experienced by the majority of the general population, and in their more extreme forms are characteristic of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). These cognitions are said to exist on a continuum that includes differences in their frequency and associated distress. The key factors that contribute to an increased frequency and distress are how the individual appraises and responds to the OIT. Facets of mindfulness, such as nonjudgment and nonreactivity, offer an alternative approach to OITs than the negative appraisals and commonly utilised control strategies that often contribute to distress. Clarifying the role of facets of mindfulness in relation to…
Inventario Clark-Beck de Obsesión-Compulsión (C-BOCI) : validación para su uso en población española
The Clark-Beck Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (C-BOCI) is a new self-administered inventory (Clark & Beck, 2002), designed to offer a valid, specifi c and reliable tool for the screening of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): it assesses symptoms, their consequences, and takes into account the assumptions of current cognitive models about the disorder. The aim of this study has been to examine the usefulness of the C-BOCI in Spanish population. The questionnaire was completed together with other OCD, depression, and anxiety instruments by 506 adults without mental disorders and 44 OCD patients. The α values were ≥ 0.80 except for the obsessions subs- cale in the OCD group. Concurrent a…
Winter “weekend effect” in southern Europe and its connections with periodicities in atmospheric dynamics
[1] Winter weekly cycles of different climatic variables have been detected over Spain during the 1961–2004 period. The 13 analyzed series come from stations placed on different climatological and geographical areas with different level of urban influence. Therefore, the weekly cycles can hardly be related with local effects. Contrarily, we suggest that the weekly cycles may be related with changes in the atmospheric circulation over Western Europe, which may be due to some indirect effect of anthropogenic aerosols. Particularly interesting is the observed increase in Sea Level Pressure over Southern Europe during the weekends and consequently a decrease of anticyclonic conditions during th…
The Role of Perceived Control in the Psychophysiological Responses to Disgust of Subclinical OCD Women
Obsessive‒compulsive disorder (OCD), and especially contamination obsessions and washing compulsions, has been related to disgust. However, when its cardiovascular correlates have been studied, contradictory results have been found, including heart rate accelerations and decelerations. The aim of this study is to analyze emotional, cognitive, and cardiovascular responses in nonclinical (control) and subclinical participants with obsessive‒compulsive contamination/washing symptoms when confronted with a disgusting stimulus. Twenty-seven participants (14 subclinical OCD) completed a behavioral avoidance task with a contamination-based stimulus while their heart rate and subjective variables w…
Symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: differences in distress, interference, appraisals and neutralizing strategies.
Abstract Background and objectives Cognitive proposals about the mediating role of misinterpretations, emotional reactions, and control strategies in the escalation of obsessional intrusive thoughts (OIT) to clinical obsessions have received only partial support. This study aims to examine these variables, taking into account the obsession/OIT contents and the severity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Methods After identifying their most upsetting OIT/obsession, 61 OCD patients and 61 non-clinical individuals assessed the associated distress, interference and appraisals, and the strategies used to control the obsession/OIT. Results Compared with the nonclinical subjects, OCD indi…
EsTOCma: An App to fight against stigma associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Introduction: Stigmatizing attitudes is a problem associated to mental disorders. In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) stigma has been associated to shame, guilty and delay asking for help. Objective: To present the design of a mobile health application (app), named EsTOCma, with the objective to increase OCD mental health literacy, help seeking attitudes, and reduce stigmatizing/ self-stigmatizing attitudes and social distance associated with OCD in adult population (non-clinical and OCD population and their relatives). Method: Method: The requirements have been developed based on a literature review on mental health antistigma interventions, OCD stigma research, and serious games resear…
Personality Profile in Orthorexia Nervosa and Healthy Orthorexia
Little is known about orthorexia in both its pathological (orthorexia nervosa, OrNe) and adaptive (healthy orthorexia, HeOr) forms. To date, few studies have been carried out to analyze the personality profile associated with orthorexia, and the results have been contradictory. The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristic pathological personality traits associated with OrNe and HeOr. A total of 297 participants (Mage= 30.8 years; 94.6% women) from the general population completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID-5-SF) questionnaires. Results showed significant low-medium correlations between OrNe and the four personality…
Obsession subtypes : relationships with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs and thought control strategies
Obsessive themes can be classified into two main categories: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions. The first comprise highiy unacceptable and unrealistic thoughts, including aggressive, sexual and repulsive concerns. that can be conceptualised as «pure obsessions» (PO), whereas the second relate to relatively realistic doubts or thoughts with common themes dealing with contamination, mistakes or accidents, associated with overt actions taken to prevent the occu- rrence of negative outcomes, that can be conceptualised as obsessions plus compulsions (O-C). In this study, the ditTerences bctween PO and O-C in 39 Obsessive-Compulsive Disordered (OCD) outpatients are examined. Results: …
Teachers' Knowledge and Stigmatizing Attitudes Associated With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Effectiveness of a Brief Educational Intervention
Because children and adolescents are vulnerable to developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), classroom teachers play an important role in the early identification and intervention in students with OCD. The present study aims to explore the recognition of OCD, general knowledge about this disorder, implications in the classroom, and stigmatizing attitudes among teachers, as well as the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention about OCD. Participants (n = 95; mean age = 43. 29 years old; 64.3% female) were primary and secondary school teachers who were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. All of them completed a set of self-report questionnaires, read …
Emotional and Cognitive Variables Associated with Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms
AbstractDifferent variables have been associated with the development/ maintenance of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although the relevance of these factors has not been clearly established. The present study aimed to analyze the relevance and specificity of these variables. Forty-five women with high scores on obsessive-compulsive contamination symptoms (n= 16) or checking symptoms (n= 15), or non-clinical scores (n= 14) participated in a behavioral approach/avoidance task (BAT) with a contamination-OCD stimulus. Vulnerability variables and participants’ emotional, cognitive, physiological and behavioral responses to the BAT were appraised. Results show that fea…
esTOCma, an app developed to dismiss self-stigma and increase mental health literacy about obsessive-compulsive disorder: how does it perform in a clinical sample?
Introduction. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling condition that can be treated successfully. However, individuals with OCD often fail to seek or delay seeking treatment. In order to overcome this gap and increase the intention to seek for help, a gamified mental health mobile application (app) called esTOCma has been developed with a focus on offering information about OCD and on discussing stigmatizing attitudes toward the disease. The general aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the intervention through esTOCma in a clinical OCD sample. The objective of the study was two-fold. First, to analyze if the intervention changes the following variables in a clinical OCD …
Factors associated with non-treatment or delayed treatment seeking in OCD sufferers: a review of the literature.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling disorder that can be successfully treated. However, a high percentage of sufferers neither ask for nor receive treatment for their symptoms, or they delay seeking treatment. The factors underlying the treatment-seeking behaviour of OCD patients are still not clear. This review includes 12 studies published before April 2014 that analyse the possible variables related to the delayed help-seeking behaviour of OCD patients. Studies showed that individuals who asked for help were more impaired and reported poorer quality of life. Help-seeking behaviour was associated with greater insight, severity, specific obsessive-compulsive symptoms, such a…
Study of Obsessive Compulsive Beliefs: Relationship with Eating Disorders
Background: The relationship between Eating Disorders (ED) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been extensively studied in the last few years. However, little effort has been devoted to studying the link between these disorders with regard to their distorted beliefs. Aims: The first objective of the study was to analyze the differences in OCD-related beliefs among ED subtypes and the general population, controlling for age, Body Mass Index, and obsessionality. The second objective was to explore which OCD beliefs explain ED symptomatology. Method: Seventy-nine ED patients without OCD comorbidity, divided into diagnostic subtypes, and 50 community participants completed the Obsessive…
Exploring the role of obsessive-compulsive relevant self-worth contingencies in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.
Abstract This article examines whether self-worth contingencies in the personal domains of cleanliness, morality, hoarding, certainty, accuracy, religion and respect for others have specific associations with obsessive symptoms and cognitions in individuals with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Fifty-seven patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD completed the Obsessional Concerns and Self Questionnaire (OCSQ), designed to assess the extent to which respondents consider OCD content domains relevant to their self-worth, along with a battery of other instruments. Results indicate that the OCSQ is more associated with OCD than with non-OCD anxiety symptoms, and that it is also associated w…
CONOCIMIENTO, ESTIGMA Y DISTANCIA SOCIAL ASOCIADOS AL TRASTORNO OBSESIVO-COMPULSIVO EN POBLACIÓN GENERAL ADULTA
A pesar de la elevada interferencia y malestar producido por el trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo (TOC) se observa una demora en la solicitud de asistencia. Esta demora se asocia principalmente a la falta de conocimiento sobre el trastorno y dónde acudir a a solicitar ayuda (mental health literacy; MHL). Otro factor relevante asociado a la demora es el estigma. El objetivo del presente estudio fue explorar el conocimiento, nivel de estigma y distancia social de la población general sobre los subtipos de TOC. MÉTODO: Participaron 52 personas (55,8% mujeres) que leyeron una viñeta (entre 6 opciones) que describía un paciente con TOC. A continuación completaron un cuestionario sobre MHL, el Attrib…
Spanish version of the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire-Expanded Version: Further support for the role of inferential confusion in obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
The purposes of this research were (1) to analyse the psychometric properties of the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire-Expanded Version (ICQ-EV) in a Spanish population; (2) to explore the role of inferential confusion in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and (3) to compare the inferential confusion construct in nonclinical and clinical samples. A sample of 342 nonclinical participants and 66 patients with OCD completed the ICQ-EV Spanish adaptation as well as a set of questionnaires. Results confirmed a good fit of the ICQ-EV Spanish version to the original unifactorial structure and excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Moreover, results confirmed that the ICQ-E…
EsTOCma: A Mental Health Application for Enhancing Mental Health Literacy About Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Reduce Stigma: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating heterogeneous condition and one of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting approximately 2%-2.3% of the population. However, there is a long delay in seeking treatment, and between 38% and 89.8% of OCD sufferers neither ask for nor receive treatment for their symptoms. Studies on OCD report that insufficient mental health literacy about OCD and the associated stigma would explain the delayed treatment-seeking behavior of OCD patients. With the aim of increasing OCD mental health literacy and reducing the associated stigma, a gamified mental health mobile application (app) called esTOCma was developed. The o…
Modelo de personalidad HEXACO: Relaciones con psicopatología emocional en una muestra española [HEXACO personality model: Relationships with emotional psychopathology in a Spanish sample]
This study examines the relationships between personality dimensions and obsessive-compulsive and depressive psychopathology signs, on the basis of the new 6-dimension HEXACO personality model:Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience. Participants were 354 individuals from the general population, from which 21 were at risk of depression (r-DEP) and 29 at risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (r-OCD). Jointly, the 6 personality dimensions explained 42% of the BDI-II score in the r-DEP group, and 37% of the C-BOCI score in the r-OCD group. The two at-risk groups differed from the no-risk participants in all the personality dime…
Trastornos del estado de ánimo al final de la vida: ¿desmoralización o depresión?
This paper analyzes problems that result in an alteration of mood, particularly in the sadness found in people with a serious physical illness at the end of life. The problems and implications of an faulty diagnosis, the confusions associated with a diagnosis of depression, and the importance of differen-tiation between “normal” mood reactions to illness, and pathological reactions, are analyzed. Several studies are reviewed and analyzed that propose the incorporation of a new syndrome to the traditional psychiatric classifications: demoralization. Finally the implications, advantages, and inconveniences of including a demoralization syndrome are discussed.
What do Spanish adolescents think about obsessive-compulsive disorder? Mental health literacy and stigma associated with symmetry/order and aggression-related symptoms.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a frequent and disabling disorder with a long delay in seeking help that could partly be due to poor mental health literacy and stigmatizing attitudes. This study analyzes the mental health literacy and stigma associated with symmetry/order and aggression-related OCD in a Spanish adolescent sample. This age group was chosen because adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of OCD, and adolescents are often reluctant to seek professional help. One hundred and two non-clinical adolescents read two vignettes describing symmetry/order and aggression-related OCD. Then, referring to these two vignettes, they answered questions related to problem…
Self-worth contingencies and obsessionality: A promising approach to vulnerability?
Abstract Cognitive behavioral theories (CBT) posit deficiencies in selfhood processes as possible vulnerability factors for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper presents two psychometric studies on the development of the Obsessional Concerns and Self Questionnaire (OCSQ), a measure of failure to attain self-worth in personal domains relevant to obsessionality. In the first study based on 563 community Spaniards, principal factor analysis of an 80 item pool resulted in a three factor solution and a final 35 item version (OCSQ-r). In the second study self-worth and symptom measures were administered to 152 Spanish, 142 Argentinean and 112 Canadian nonclinical samples. Group compari…
Symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: from normal cognitive intrusions to clinical obsessions.
Abstract Cognitive behavioral models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) assume continuity between normal obsessional intrusive thoughts (OITs) and obsessions. However, this assumption has recently been criticized. This article examines this issue using a new instrument (the Obsessional Intrusive Thoughts Inventory, INPIOS) specifically designed to assess the frequency and content of 48 OITs, which was completed by 734 community subjects and 55 OCD patients. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests six first-order factors included in two second-order factors, one containing aggressive, sexual, religious, immoral and repugnant OITs, and the other containing contamination, doubts and checking…
Psicopatología de las compulsiones de lavado en el trastorno obsesivocompulsivo: no todos los pacientes lavan por los mismos motivos
Abstract: Psychopathology of washing compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Not all patients wash for the same reasons. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of the contents of obsessions and compulsions. Washing, being one of the most frequent compulsion modalities, has been associated with different variables such as: physical or mental contamination fears, fears associated with negative affect (including disgust) and the loss of control, a high level of perfectionism, or the avoidance of a sense of dirtiness or incompleteness. In this study, these variables are examined through the descriptive analysis of the psychopathological symptoms and tr…
Is context a crucial factor in distinguishing between intrusions and obsessions in patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder?
Objective Some cognitive models of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that intrusions exist on a continuum with obsessions; others consider that they may be unrelated phenomena that differ in the context where they occur. We aimed to examine and compare, at two different moments, the context of the occurrence of intrusions and obsessions. Method Sixty‐eight patients with OCD completed an interview appraising their most upsetting obsession and intrusion. Results At their onset, the obsessions/intrusions were associated with experiencing negative emotional states and life events, and they were more likely to appear in 'inappropriate' contexts. The context of the obsessions/intrusions d…
Dysfunctional beliefs about health and illness: a family study
Los modelos cognitivos sobre la hipocondría postulan que las experiencias tempranas con la enfermedad promueven el desarrollo de creencias disfuncionales sobre la enfermedad. Estas creencias pueden permanecer latentes y activarse ante un incidente crítico. Los estudios publicados aportan datos que avalan de mane- ra indirecta estos planteamientos. Teniendo en cuenta que en el núcleo familiar primario se comparten experiencias sobre la enfer- medad, examinamos la relación entre las creencias disfuncionales que los progenitores y sus descendientes mantienen sobre la en- fermedad y los pensamientos, tales como la intolerancia a la incer- tidumbre y la sobreestimación de la amenaza, y las relac…
Data base: Spanish version of the Short Form of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12)
La presente base de datos incluye los datos referidos a la validación al español de la versión reducida de la Cyberchondria Severity Scale. La cibercondría se refiere a la búsqueda excesiva y repetida en línea relacionada con la salud, que se asocia con un aumento de la angustia y la ansiedad. Este estudio tiene como objetivo validar la medida más utilizada para la evaluación de la cibercondría: la Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) en su versión abreviada (CSS-12). Se incluyen datos extraídos de la población general española. Una muestra de 432 adultos hispanohablantes de la población general (67,6% mujeres; edad media = 36,00 ± 15,22 años) completó la traducción al español del CSS-12 junt…