Dysfunctional belief domains related to obsessive-compulsive disorder: a further examination of their dimensionality and specificity

Span J Psychol. 2010 May;13(1):376-88. doi: 10.1017/s1138741600003930.

Abstract

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 solution: responsibility, over-importance of thoughts, thought-action fusion-likelihood, thought action fusion-morality, importance of thought control, overestimation of threat, intolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism. Study 2: The OBSI-R and other symptom measures were administered to 75 OCD patients, 22 depressed patients, and 25 non-OCD anxious patients. Results indicated that, although OCD patients differed from their non-clinical counterparts on all of the OBSI-R subscales, no evidence of OCD-specificity emerged for any of the belief domains measured, as the OCD subjects did not differ from the other two clinical groups of patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology*
  • Defense Mechanisms*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control*
  • Male
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology*
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Young Adult