Obsessional intrusive thoughts in children: An interview based study

We aimed to investigate the experience of obsessional intrusive thoughts (OITs) in a sample of children aged 8 to 10 years old and to test the main tenets of the cognitive model of OCD. Specifically, we assessed: (1) the prevalence of OITs experienced by young children; (2) their frequency and content; (3) the emotions they evoke; (4) the reasons why they are upsetting; (5) how they are appraised (6) and what control strategies they use.

Forty-nine children (28 girls, 21 boys; mean age 9.1 years) from the community completed two self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Children were interviewed using the Children's Anxious Thoughts Interview, which assessed their experiences of OITs.

From the 49 participants, 71.43% reported having experienced at least one OIT. The most frequent contents related to harm and doubt. Of the total sample, 28.6% reported having experienced one OIT recently with at least moderate frequency; these participants reported higher anxiety and obsessive-compulsive interference, described feeling nervous and anxious when experiencing their OIT, and rated their OIT as highly important and distracting. The most frequently reported control strategies were cognitive - suppression, distraction and thought replacement.

Almost two thirds of community children reported experiencing OITs. The findings from this study provide preliminary support for the application of the cognitive model of OCD in children. Subtle differences from previous research with adults are discussed.