Early maladaptive schemas in autogenous and reactive subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The aim of this study is to identify early maladaptive schemas in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to determine the use of these schemas in OCD autogenous and reactive subtypes.

The study population included 40 healthy volunteers, and 90 patients diagnosed with OCD. The Yale-Brown Obsession-Compulsion Scale (Y-BOCS) was administered to the OCD group to determine the severity of the disorder, and the Y-BOCS Symptom Checklist was applied to determine the patients with autogenous (n = 37) and reactive (n = 53) subtypes of OCD. Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 (YSQ-SF3) scales were applied to all participants.

When autogenous and reactive subtype groups of OCD were compared with each other, the schema domains of disconnection (p = 0.004), high standards (p = 0.008), other-directedness (p < 0.001) and the schema dimensions of failure (p < 0.001), emotional deprivation (p < 0.001), defectiveness (p = 0.007), approval seeking (p = 0.007) and punishment (p = 0.001) were found to be more dominant in the autogenous group.

The findings of the study support that there are differences between autogenous and reactive subtypes of OCD in terms of dominant schemas. Therefore, its thought that the use of Schema Therapy methods in which schemas appropriate for subtypes are investigated in the treatment of OCD patients will contribute favorably to the treatment response.