Do Parental Reports of Routinized and Compulsive-Like Behaviours Decline with Child’s Age?: A Brief Report of a Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Background: Routinized and compulsive-like behaviours are very common in young children; however, previous studies have shown inconsistent results as to the age such behaviours decline. Another issue concerns any association with later Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Method: Related measures longitudinal design: We compared parent ratings of children over a 6 year period. The sample consisted of 109 children (aged 8 to 18 years, 62 males). Measures were of routinized and compulsive-like behaviours, OCD behaviours, worries and fears. Results: Routinized behaviours decreased significantly over the 6 year period, but not for children reported to have difficulties. OCD behaviours increased significantly with 31% of the sample having above threshold scores; however, only one child in the sample had an OCD diagnosis. There were significant correlations between CRI, OCD and fear and worry scores. Conclusion: We confirmed the view that anxiety reduction is one of the functions of routinized behaviours. A small number of children had high scores on routinized behaviours and the OCD measure, but there was only 1 diagnosis of OCD in the sample. This suggests that they may be part of the typical distribution of such behaviours.

Repetitive Behaviours and Restricted Interests in Individuals with Down Syndrome—One Way of Managing Their World?

“…Childhood worries reported by parents increased significantly from 7 years of age and for these older age groups there were consistent relationships between ratings of frequency of worries and intensity and number of RBRI. These results confirmed previous suggestions that one of the functions of RBRI may be to reduce anxiety [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…As described previously there is considerable research supporting the original view of Leonard et al [ 3 ] that RBRI are important for reducing anxiety or fear. This has been found in typical children [ 8 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 46 ].…”

Psychological Support for Young Adults with Down Syndrome: Dohsa-Hou Program for Maladaptive Behaviors and Internalizing Problems

“…The results suggest that these experiences contribute to reduce anxiety in social situations, which leads to decreased compulsive (routinized) behavior. Several studies suggest that routinized behaviors play a functional role in anxiety reduction ( Glenn and Cunningham, 2007 ; Glenn and Nananidou, 2016 ), thus, reduction of anxiety is a contributing factor for reduced routinized behavior. In Dohsa-hou sessions and group therapies, participants achieve relaxation, standing, and communication tasks with therapists, which may influence improvement in their self-efficacy.…”

Early Identification and Intervention in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

“…Currently, normative rituals/routines and OCS are widely believed to exist on a continuum with shared emotional, neurobiological and genetic factors, and age plays an essential role in determining whether rituals/routines are normal or maladaptive [ 68 ]. Children’s ritualistic behavior typically starts to decrease from age 7 [ 70 ], and children who consistently perform high levels of rituals/routines are at risk for developing OCS [ 68 ]. According to the analysis result of data from a longitudinal study [ 69 ], OCS trajectories can be divided into three distinct groups.…”