Early life adversity, inhibitory control, and behavioral dysregulation among individuals with OCD

Individuals with OCD exhibit poorer inhibitory control on behavioral tasks, such as the stop signal task. Early life adversity (ELA; e.g., childhood abuse, parental divorce) might further diminish inhibitory control, however, the relationship between ELA and inhibitory control has not yet been examined in individuals with OCD. We hypothesized that greater ELA would predict poorer inhibitory control and poorer self-reported behavioral regulation ability among individuals with OCD.

Participants were 78 adults with OCD. The total number of adverse experiences reported by participants on a dichotomous scale indexed ELA. Inhibitory control was indexed by reaction time on the stop signal task (SSRT), wherein greater SSRTs indicated poorer inhibitory control. Behavioral dysregulations were self-reported on the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI) of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and peak lifetime OCD severity was clinician-assessed.

ELA was associated with SSRT in a univariable model (b = 0.287, p = 0.028), but not in a multivariable model with age and OCD severity. Additionally, ELA was associated with the BRI (b = 0.365, p = 0.018), and in subscale analyses, ELA related to inhibition (b = 0.327, p = 0.023) and self-monitoring (b = 0.375, p = 0.008) subscales.

These results suggest that, among individuals with OCD, greater ELA is associated with poorer inhibitory control, but not when controlling for age, and that greater ELA is associated with poorer behavioral regulation ability, particularly in inhibition and self-monitoring. Limitations of this study include the use of a noncomprehensive ELA measure. Future studies should clarify the mechanisms by which ELA can degrade inhibitory control among people with OCD.