OCD in Bahrain: a phenomenological profile

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex mental health condition.
• Understanding the phenomenology of OCD is crucial for effective treatment.
• Previous research has explored various facets of OCD, but a detailed phenomenological analysis of its forms and contents is warranted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To phenomenologically delineate the diverse forms and contents of obsessions and compulsions in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
• To determine the frequency of occurrence for different types and themes of obsessions and compulsions.
• To investigate the influence of sociocultural and religious factors on the manifestation of OCD.

Main Methods:

• A phenomenological study was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
• Data was collected during the year 1994.
• Obsessions were categorized into six types (doubts, thoughts, fear, images, impulses, miscellaneous), and compulsions into two (yielding, controlling). Obsessional content was classified into eight categories.

Main Results:

• Six types of obsessions and two types of compulsions were identified.
• Obsessional content frequently related to dirt/contamination (38%) and religious/blasphemous themes (40%).
• 56% of patients exhibited compulsions, with 36% displaying multiple compulsions and 20% a single compulsion.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully delineated the forms and contents of obsessions and compulsions in OCD patients.
• Obsessional thoughts related to contamination and religious/blasphemous themes were notably prevalent.
• Sociocultural and religious factors play a significant role in shaping the specific content of obsessional thoughts in OCD.