If it is absurd, then why do you do it? The richer the obsessional experience, the more compelling the compulsion

TY - JOUR

T1 - If it is absurd, then why do you do it? The richer the obsessional experience, the more compelling the compulsion

AU - Moritz, Steffen

AU - Purdon, Christine

AU - Jelinek, Lena

AU - Chiang, Brenda

AU - Hauschildt, Marit

N1 - Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PY - 2018/3

Y1 - 2018/3

N2 - Mounting evidence suggests that obsessive intrusions are often accompanied and amplified by perceptual experiences of different modalities (e.g., feeling dirt on one's skin while experiencing intrusive thoughts about contamination). Pilot studies conducted online with individuals endorsing mild obsessive-compulsive symptoms have linked the co-occurrence of perceptual experiences and obsessions to the severity of subsequent compulsive behaviour as well as low insight. However, it is presently unclear whether sensory experiences accompany all types of obsessional thoughts or are restricted to certain preoccupations (e.g., contamination and aggression). The present study examined a clinical inpatient and outpatient sample with a formally diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (N = 34). Perceptual properties of intrusive thoughts were assessed with the Sensory Properties of Obsessions Questionnaire. The prevalence of perception-laden obsessive thoughts was comparable with prior studies (73.5%), but the intensity was significantly greater. No association was observed between perceptual experiences and expert-rated insight. However, the severity of perception-laden obsessions predicted the frequency of and impairment associated with compulsive behaviour. This was particularly strong for obsessions about contamination. The present study confirms the high prevalence and clinical relevance of perceptual experiences that accompany obsessions and further challenges the traditional trichotomy splitting mental phenomena into thoughts, intrusions, and hallucinations.

AB - Mounting evidence suggests that obsessive intrusions are often accompanied and amplified by perceptual experiences of different modalities (e.g., feeling dirt on one's skin while experiencing intrusive thoughts about contamination). Pilot studies conducted online with individuals endorsing mild obsessive-compulsive symptoms have linked the co-occurrence of perceptual experiences and obsessions to the severity of subsequent compulsive behaviour as well as low insight. However, it is presently unclear whether sensory experiences accompany all types of obsessional thoughts or are restricted to certain preoccupations (e.g., contamination and aggression). The present study examined a clinical inpatient and outpatient sample with a formally diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (N = 34). Perceptual properties of intrusive thoughts were assessed with the Sensory Properties of Obsessions Questionnaire. The prevalence of perception-laden obsessive thoughts was comparable with prior studies (73.5%), but the intensity was significantly greater. No association was observed between perceptual experiences and expert-rated insight. However, the severity of perception-laden obsessions predicted the frequency of and impairment associated with compulsive behaviour. This was particularly strong for obsessions about contamination. The present study confirms the high prevalence and clinical relevance of perceptual experiences that accompany obsessions and further challenges the traditional trichotomy splitting mental phenomena into thoughts, intrusions, and hallucinations.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1002/cpp.2155

DO - 10.1002/cpp.2155

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 29154502

VL - 25

SP - 210

EP - 216

JO - CLIN PSYCHOL PSYCHOT

JF - CLIN PSYCHOL PSYCHOT

SN - 1063-3995

IS - 2

ER -