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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

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 non-clinical community subjects. Between-group differences indicated that the ITs frequency, the unpleasantness and uncontrollability of having the IT, and the avoidance of thought triggers obtained the highest effect sizes, and they were specific to OCD patients. Moreover, two dysfunctional appraisals (worry that the thought will come true, and the importance of controlling thoughts) were specific to OCD patients. The OCD and depressed patients shared some dysfunctional appraisals about their most disturbing obsession or IT (guilt, unacceptability, likelihood thought would come true, danger, and responsibility for having the IT), whereas the non-obsessive anxious were nearer to the non-clinical participants than to the other two groups of patients. The OCD patients showed an increased use of thought control strategies, with overt neutralizing, thought suppression, and searching for reassurance being highly specific to this group.

Adolescent↗

Two different types of obsession: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions.

We propose that obsessions are categorized into two subtypes, i.e. autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions, which are different in terms of identifiability of their evoking stimuli, subjective experiences, contents, and subsequent cognitive processes. Autogenous obsessions tend to come abruptly into consciousness without identifiable evoking stimuli, which are perceived as ego-dystonic and aversive enough to be repelled, and include sexual, aggressive, and immoral thoughts or impulses. On the other hand, reactive obsessions are evoked by identifiable external stimuli, which are perceived as relatively realistic and rational enough to do something toward the stimuli, and include thoughts about contamination, mistake, accident, asymmetry, loss, etc. Through three empirical studies, we confirmed the differences between the two types of obsessional intrusion in their frequency, subjective experiences, subsequent appraisal and control strategy. In particular, autogenous obsessions led to high appraisal on 'control over thought' and 'importance of thought' and frequent use of 'avoidant control strategies', while reactive obsessions linked with high appraisal on 'responsibility' and frequent use of 'confrontational control strategies'. These findings are expected to provide a basis for classifying and explaining the heterogeneous phenomena of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Adolescent↗

[Obsessive disorders and syndromes and affective disorders. Apropos of a French epidemiologic obsessive compulsive disorders and obsessive compulsive syndromes DRT survey].

What was known in the past as "obsessive psychoneurosis" was considered to be rare, chronic and difficult to treat. New definitions proposed by APA diagnostic systems (DSM III, DSM III-R, DSM IV) and the WHO (ICD-10) have opened up the possibility of epidemiologic studies in the population as a whole and among patients consulting psychiatrists and general practitioners. All these studies reveal a much higher prevalence, the incidence increasing from 0.05% (former estimate) to about 2.5% of the general population (American ECA survey). This implies new clinical and etiopathogenic concepts of this pathology. Experience of so-called antidepressant drugs, with an essentially serotoninergic action, bringing about a notable improvement in obsessive disorders, has greatly contributed to these changes. COD and COS are very often interlinked with other psychiatric symptomatology, this frequent co-morbidity raising the question of the autonomy of certain syndromes, as well as that of the borders between the normal and pathological. The TOC of clinicians are not the same as the TOC of epidemiologists. Another problem is that of the role played by these obsessive disorders in what has been referred to as "general neurotic syndrome". What is the relationship between mood disorders and anxious pathology as a whole, insofar as the same drugs are indicated in these various disease patterns. We report here the results of the DRT survey involving patients presenting for the first time to psychiatrists in office practice and concerning 731 COD and COS, i.e. 17 % of 4 364 adult out-patients (6.5 % definite COD, 2.7 % probable COD and 7.5 % COS).

Adult↗

Religiosity and religious obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Religion has often been thought to play a part in the genesis of some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we explored the relationship between religiosity, religious obsessions, and other clinical characteristics of OCD. Forty-five outpatients with OCD were evaluated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Checklist (Y-BOCC) as well as the Religious Practices Index (RPI), which was developed for this study. On the basis of these evaluations, 42% of the patients were found to have religious obsessions. Despite differences in the frequency of religious obsessions found in this study compared with others, a factor analysis revealed the symptom dimensions to be similar to those found in other OCD samples. There was no significant difference in the overall severity of obsessions and compulsions between patients with and without religious obsessions. RPI scores did not differ significantly between groups. We failed to find a relationship between RPI scores or religious obsessions and any particular type of obsession or compulsion. A logistic regression analysis revealed that the sole predictor of the presence of religious obsessions was a higher number of types of obsessions. In conclusion, we failed to find a conclusive relationship between religiosity and any other clinical feature of OCD, including the presence of religious obsessions. On the other hand, we showed that the patients who tend to have a variety of obsessions are more likely also to have religious obsessions. Thus, religion appears to be one more arena where OCD expresses itself, rather than being a determinant of the disorder.

Adult↗

Autogenous and reactive obsessions: further evidence for a two-factor model of obsessions.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a highly disabling anxiety disorder, characterized by occurrence of intrusive and unwanted thoughts (obsessions), which lead to performance of repetitive compulsions and/or rituals in order to reduce distress. Recently, it has been proposed that obsessions may be divided into two categories, termed autogenous and reactive obsessions [Lee, H.-J., & Kwon, S.-M. (2003). Two different types of obsessions: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions. Behavior Research and Therapy, 41, 11-29]. In this study, we aimed to further validate this subtyping of obsessions, and to investigate the cognitive and emotional correlates of the subtypes. Evidence was found for the division, using a confirmatory factor analysis in an analogue sample (N=372). It was found that frequency of reactive obsessions related more strongly to distress caused by overt OC symptoms (e.g., washing, checking), whereas frequency of autogenous obsessions related to distress from impulses of harm. Compared to autogenous obsessions, frequency of reactive obsessions correlated more strongly with all OC-related beliefs. Few differences were found between autogenous and reactive obsessions with respect to depression, anxiety, and view about self (self-ambivalence, self-esteem). It is suggested that existing OC-belief measures are more relevant to reactive obsessions. Implications for theory and treatment are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Sexual obsessions and clinical correlates in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Because little is known about sexual obsessions in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), we examined rates and clinical correlates of sexual obsessions in 293 consecutive subjects with primary lifetime Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, OCD (54.6% females; mean age, 40.5 +/- 12.9 years). Symptom severity was examined using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Comorbidity, treatment response, insight, depression symptoms, quality of life, and social functioning were also assessed. All variables were compared in subjects who have OCD with and without sexual obsessions. Of the 293 subjects with primary OCD, 73 (24.9%) reported a history of sexual obsessions, and 39 (13.3%) of the subjects with OCD reported current sexual obsessions. Women were as likely as men to report sexual obsessions. As compared to those without these symptoms, subjects with current sexual obsessions were significantly more likely to report current aggressive (P < .001) and religious (P = .001) obsessions. Subjects with sexual obsessions also reported an earlier age of onset of OCD than subjects without these symptoms. Severity of OCD, comorbidity, treatment response, insight, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and social functioning did not differ between those with and without sexual obsessions. These preliminary results suggest that sexual obsessions are fairly common among individuals with OCD and may be associated with important clinical characteristics.

Adult↗

Obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Although obsessive-compulsive disorder commonly occurs in many patients with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, little is known about the obsessions and compulsions of Tourette's syndrome and whether they differ from those seen in pure obsessive-compulsive disorder. The authors prospectively studied 10 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 15 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and comorbid Tourette's syndrome by using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Leyton Obsessional Inventory, and a new questionnaire designed to emphasize the differences in symptoms between these two groups. RESULTS: Subjects with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome had significantly more violent, sexual, and symmetrical obsessions and more touching, blinking, counting, and self-damaging compulsions. The group with obsessive-compulsive disorder alone had more obsessions concerning dirt or germs and more cleaning compulsions. The subjects who had both disorders reported that their compulsions arose spontaneously, whereas the subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder alone reported that their compulsions were frequently preceded by cognitions. CONCLUSIONS: There are phenomenologic differences between obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder with comorbid Tourette's syndrome that may reflect differential involvement of neurochemical and neuroanatomic pathways.

Adult↗

Paternal overprotection in obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression with obsessive traits.

Previous studies have indicated that a parental rearing style showing a low level of care on the parental bonding instrument (PBI) is a risk factor for depression, and that there is a relationship between the overprotective rearing style on the PBI and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, there is no study on the parental rearing attitudes in depressive patients divided into two groups based on their obsessive traits. In this study, we evaluated the parental rearing attitudes and examined the differences among four groups: depressive patients with severe obsessive traits, depressive patients with mild obsessive traits, OCD patients, and healthy volunteers. We divided the depressive patients into severe and mild groups based on their obsessive traits on the Mausdley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). We compared PBI scores among four groups of 50 subjects matched for age and sex: depressive patients with severe obsessive traits, depressive patients with mild obsessive traits, OCD patients, and healthy volunteers. The paternal protection scores in the depressive patients with severely obsessive traits and the OCD patients were significantly higher than those in the depressive patients with mildly obsessive traits and healthy volunteers. This study indicated that the depressive patients with severe obsessive traits and the OCD patients have similar paternal controlling and interfering rearing attitudes. We conclude that the paternal controlling and interfering rearing attitudes are linked to the development of OCD and depression with obsessive traits, and are not linked to the development of depression itself.

Adult↗

Obsession in the strict sense: A helpful psychopathological phenomenon in the differential diagnosis between obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.

The paper presented follows the hypothesis that differentiation between obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia is possible only by focusing on the single phenomenon of obsession. The statement of a nosological specificity of obsession, called obsession in the strict sense, is set against the current views of ICD-10 and DSM-IV of obsession as a ubiquitous, non-specific phenomenon appearing in comorbidities. In the succession of the paper, the historical development of these two very different views and their clinically mixing is reconstructed. The phenomenological clarification of the structure of the obsessive phenomena leads to the term of obsession in the strict sense. The distinction between obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia can take place at the psychopathological interface between obsession in the strict sense and delusional idea. The examination of the literature on the connection between obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia shows that there is no definitive connection between obsession in the strict sense and schizophrenia. Finally, some case reports are presented to sharpen clinical suspicion for other possibly wrong diagnoses.

Adult↗

Feasibility and effectiveness of the Bergen 4-Day Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in Australia: A pilot comparison with 3-week inpatient obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating and chronic condition that, when untreated or unresponsive to treatment, imposes a significant health and economic burden on individuals and families. This prospective non-randomised inpatient study compared the acceptability and clinical outcomes of the Bergen 4-Day Treatment programme with those of a standard 3-week specialised treatment programme for obsessive-compulsive disorder in Australia. METHOD: Twenty-five participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder were non-randomly assigned to Bergen 4-Day Treatment (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;12) or a 3-week standard (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;13) inpatient programme. Independent assessments were completed at pre-treatment, 10&#x2009;days post treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was rated to assess obsessive-compulsive disorder severity, while secondary measures of depression, anxiety, obsessive beliefs and wellbeing were self-rated by participants. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable, with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom severity within the moderate to severe range. After treatment, obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms as well as secondary depression and anxiety symptoms were reduced in both treatment groups. Participants receiving Bergen 4-Day Treatment had significantly lower Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores at 10&#x2009;days (M&#x2009;=&#x2009;13.46) and 3&#x2009;months (M&#x2009;=&#x2009;11.84), compared to standard treatment (M&#x2009;=&#x2009;19.04 and M&#x2009;=&#x2009;19.15, respectively). Response (91.9%) and remission (45.8%) rates for the Bergen 4-Day Treatment group were significantly higher at both post-treatment timepoints, compared to the standard treatment group. No dropouts occurred in the Bergen 4-Day Treatment group, and participant satisfaction was high. CONCLUSION: The findings of this pilot open-label study suggest that Bergen 4-Day Treatment shows promise as an acceptable, efficient and effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, warranting further investigation as a scalable alternative for improving access to specialised obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment in Australia.

Humans↗

[Obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. An attempt at psychopathologic differentiation by focusing on the single phenomenon of obsession].

This paper follows the hypothesis that differentiation between obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia is possible only by focusing on the single phenomenon of obsession. The declaration of a nosological specificity of obsession is set against the current view of ICD-10 and DSM-IV, of obsession as a ubiquitous nonspecific phenomenon appearing with comorbidities. The historic development of these two most different views of obsession and their combination is explained. The distinction between obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia can be made at the psychopathologic dividing line between obsession and delusional thoughts. Examination of the literature on the transition from obsessive compulsive disorder into schizophrenia shows that there is no clear link between obsession and schizophrenia.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

The influence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis patients' premorbid personality on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and efficacy of medication.

We conducted a survey with the Lynfield obsessive-compulsive symptom questionnaire (revised version) on 48 obsessive-compulsive neurotic patients as the survey subjects. In the factor analysis five factors of obsessions, were identified: (i) the desire for perfection; (ii) compulsive checking; (iii) washing; (iv) feelings of uncleanliness; and (v) anthropophobia. High correlations were noted between these factors. We also investigated the premorbid personalities of obsessive-compulsive neurotic patients with a multidimensional personality scale and obtained an extroversion dimension and neuroticism dimension. The influence of these premorbid personality dimensions on obsessive-compulsive symptoms became clear; (i) neuroticism is related to the levels of obsession after onset, but not related to compulsive behaviors; and (ii) No differences in premorbid personality dimensions were noted between compulsive checking and compulsive washing behaviors. We also studied whether it was possible to predict the efficacy of pharmacotherapy upon obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It was elucidated that the obsessions of those whose premorbid personalities are emotionally stable and extroversive are susceptible to antidepressants. Based on these results, we discussed the usefulness of premorbid personalities in predicting diversity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as in prediction the efficacy of medication.

Adolescent↗

Obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The prevailing view is that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are able to think rationally about their obsessive concerns and are thus able to recognize them as senseless. However, clinical observations indicate that at least some obsessive-compulsives do not regard their symptoms as unreasonable or excessive, and their ideas have been characterized as overvalued or delusional. In the present paper the concepts of obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions are discussed and compared, and the available studies of insight among obsessive-compulsives are reviewed. It is concluded that obsessive-compulsive ideas can not satisfactorily be dichotomized according to patients' insight, and that the notion of a continuum of strength of obsessive-compulsive beliefs is more appropriate. The relationship between degree of obsessive-compulsive conviction and outcome of therapy remains unclear. Methodological issues that complicate our understanding of OCD are considered, and theories of delusions are examined in relation to their development in OCD.

Attention↗

A controlled positron emission tomography study of obsessive and neutral auditory stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder with checking rituals.

Ten nondepressed patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were characterized by predominant checking rituals were compared with 10 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Hemispheric and regional cerebral blood flow levels (rCBF) were measured with positron emission tomography (H2 15O) across four conditions: rest, auditory stimulation with idiosyncratic normal or abnormal obsession, auditory stimulation with neutral verbal stimuli, and rest. Order of neutral and obsessive stimulation was randomized. Higher subjective responses to obsessive than to neutral stimulation were found in both groups; subjective response was higher in OCD patients when obsessive stimulation was presented first. A four-way analysis of variance (group x stimulation order x hemisphere x condition [neutral or obsessive stimulation]) was performed on stimulation minus rest normalized rCBF values. Control subjects had significantly higher rCBF in the thalamus and putamen. A trend toward higher rCBF in OCD patients was found in the superior temporal regions. When neutral stimulation was presented first, rCBF was significantly higher in the caudate region of control subjects. Obsessive stimulation was associated with higher rCBF than neutral stimulation in orbitofrontal regions in both groups of subjects. Under obsessive stimulation, superior temporal and orbitofrontal activities were correlated in OCD patients but not in control subjects. Our study suggests specific abnormalities of information processing in the basal ganglia and temporal structures of compulsive checkers.

Adult↗

Characteristics of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Parkinson's disease.

A high incidence of obsessions and compulsions is documented in basal ganglia disorders, especially in patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS). A comparison of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), TS, and Parkinson's disease (PD) revealed significantly higher total scores in both OCD and TS patients than in a healthy control group on the Maudsley obsessive-compulsive inventory (MOCI) and the Hamburg obsessive-compulsive inventory (HZI-K), two self-report measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. On most subscales (especially Checking, Ordering, and Counting/touching), TS patients scored higher than controls. Patients with Parkinson's disease merely scored higher on the subscale 'Ordering' of the HZI-K. Differences between OCD patients and TS patients were evident on the MOCI subscales 'Checking' and 'Slowness/Repetition' as well as on the MOCI total score and on the HZI subscales 'Cleaning' and 'Obsessive Thoughts'. On these scales, TS patients reported fewer symptoms than OCD patients. Stepwise discriminant analysis with preselected single items as variables was used to look for specific symptom patterns of OCD and TS. Seventy-eight percent of the patients could be correctly classified with respect to their diagnoses on the basis of only two items of the HZI-K. One item asks for fearful obsessive thoughts, which was found in 90% of the OCD patients; the second item represented echo phenomena, found in 56% of the TS patients. It is concluded that considering specific patterns of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology may contribute to a more reliable differential diagnosis in OCD and TS and help to avoid misdiagnosis of OCD in TS patients.

Adult↗

Inferential confusion and obsessive beliefs in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether inferential confusion could account for the relationships between obsessional beliefs and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Inferential Confusion Questionnaire and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire were administered to a sample of 85 participants diagnosed with OCD. Results showed that the relationship between obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms decreased considerably when controlling for inferential confusion. Conversely, the relationship between inferential confusion and obsessive-compulsive symptoms was not substantially affected when controlling for obsessive beliefs. Since inferential confusion has an overlap with overestimation of threat, a competing hypothesis for the results was investigated. Results indicated that inferential confusion was factorially distinct from overestimation of threat, and that the independent construct of inferential confusion remains significantly related to obsessive-compulsive symptoms when controlling for anxious mood. These results are consistent with the claim that inferential confusion may be a more critical factor in accounting for OCD symptoms than are obsessive beliefs and appraisals.

Adolescent↗

Revision of the Padua Inventory of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms: distinctions between worry, obsessions, and compulsions.

The Padua Inventory (PI), a self-report measure of obsessive and compulsive symptoms, is increasingly used in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) research. Freeston, Ladouceur, Rheaume, Letarte, Gagnon and Thibodeau (1994) [Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 29-36], however, recently showed that the PI measures worry in addition to obsessions. In an attempt to solve this measurement problem, this study used a content distinction between obsessions and worry to revise the PI. The revision was constructed to measure five content dimensions relevant to OCD i.e. (1) obsessional thoughts about harm to oneself or others; (2) obsessional impulses to harm oneself or others; (3) contamination obsessions and washing compulsions; (4) checking compulsions; and (5) dressing/grooming compulsions. A total of 5010 individuals participated in the study, 2970 individuals completing the PI and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and an additional 2040 individuals completing only the PI. The results provided support for the reliability and validity of the revision. In addition, the revision of the PI was more independent of worry, as measured by the PSWQ, than the original PI. Support was thus found for the validity of the content distinction between obsessions and worry. The importance of this content distinction is also discussed for the evaluation of other hypothesized distinctions between obsessions and worry.

Adult↗

A discrimination based on autogenous versus reactive obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder and related clinical manifestations.

INTRODUCTION: Although putative subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been gradually more recognized, there is no generally accepted subtype discrimination. It has been suggested that autogenous and reactive obsessions stem from different cognitive process. This study aimed to assess existence of gender, age at onset of illness, and comorbidity differences in OCD patients suffering from autogenous and reactive obsessions. METHODS: The medical records of 177 OCD patients were evaluated retrospectively for gender, age at onset, comorbid diagnoses, and predisposing life events. Obsessions and compulsions were coded according to the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. All patients were grouped as the patients with autogenous (autogenous group [AG] n=32), reactive (reactive group [RG] n=77) and mixed obsessions (mixed group [MG] n=68). RESULTS: AG patients were significantly more likely to be male, compared with the RG and MG patients. They also had significantly later onset of illness. Dissociative disorders were less common among AG patients compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the discrimination between autogenous and reactive obsessions are not only based on their development and maintenance mechanism through different cognitive process but that there also clinical manifestations of this discrimination.

Adult↗