Scrupulosity, Religious Affiliation and Symptom Presentation in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Scrupulosity, a religious manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), is understudied.
• Little is known about scrupulosity and OCD symptom severity across diverse religious affiliations.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the relationship between religious affiliation and OCD symptoms.
• Investigate the link between religious affiliation and scrupulosity.
• Analyze the association between scrupulosity and OCD symptom severity across religious groups.

Main Methods:

• 180 treatment-seeking adults with OCD completed scrupulosity and OCD symptom severity measures.
• One-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and regression-based moderation analyses were employed.
• Relationships between religious affiliation, scrupulosity, and OCD symptoms were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Scrupulosity levels differed significantly across religious affiliations; Catholics reported higher scrupulosity than Protestants, Jewish individuals, or those with no religious affiliation.
• Scrupulosity was significantly associated with overall OCD symptom severity and specific symptom dimensions.
• The strength of the association between scrupulosity and OCD symptoms varied depending on religious affiliation.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the dimensionality of scrupulosity and the need for specialized assessment tools.
• Results have implications for the assessment and treatment of OCD, emphasizing the importance of considering religious identity.
• Further research is needed to understand the nuances of scrupulosity across different religious contexts.