Incompleteness as a link between obsessive-compulsive personality traits and specific symptom dimensions of...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPTs) share overlapping features.
• Incompleteness or 'not just right experiences' (NJREs) are increasingly recognized as significant in OCD and OCPTs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific OCD symptom dimensions and OCPTs.
• To examine the role of NJREs as a potential mediator in the relationship between OCD and OCPTs.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted with a large clinical sample (n=185).
• Statistical analyses were used to assess the relationships between OCD symptom dimensions, OCPTs, and NJREs.
• Control variables included anxiety, depression, pathological worry, and harm avoidance.

Main Results:

• OCPTs were positively related to OCD symptom dimensions of ordering, checking, hoarding, and counting, which are associated with NJREs.
• This relationship was not found for washing and obsessions.
• The link between OCPTs and ordering/checking OCD symptoms was eliminated after statistically controlling for NJREs.

Conclusions:

• NJREs appear to be a crucial connecting factor between specific OCD symptom dimensions (ordering, checking) and accentuated OCPTs.
• Dysfunctional behaviors in OCPTs/OCPD may stem from attempts to avoid or alleviate NJREs.
• Conceptualizing OCPD as an emotional disorder suggests potential for novel treatments focused on habituation to NJREs.