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Parents' Perceptions of Internalizing and Externalizing Features in Childhood OCD
Andrew G Guzick1,2, Danielle L Cooke3,4, Joseph P H McNamara3,4,5
1College of Medicine, University of Florida (UF), 8491 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32606, USA. guzick@phhp.ufl.edu.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|February 20, 2019
Summary
Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can display both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This study found these behaviors are distinct but related, impacting OCD severity and co-occurring symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Behavioral Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often viewed as an internalizing disorder.
- However, some children with OCD exhibit externalizing behaviors directly related to their condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factor structure of the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Externalizing/Internalizing Scale (COCEIS) using parent reports.
- To examine the clinical correlates of internalizing and externalizing factors in childhood OCD.
Main Methods:
- Factor analysis of parent-report COCEIS data from 122 youth with OCD.
- Correlational analyses were used to assess relationships between factors and clinical variables.
Main Results:
- Factor analysis confirmed distinct externalizing and internalizing factors within the COCEIS.
- Externalizing behaviors were linked to co-occurring externalizing problems.
- Both factors correlated with OCD severity and co-occurring internalizing symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Evidence supports the existence of distinct yet related externalizing and internalizing behaviors specific to childhood OCD.
- Treatment for children with externalizing behaviors in OCD may benefit from enhanced behavioral parent training and motivational enhancement.