Oral Communications

Abstract

Background and aims.-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (unwanted thoughts and/or images that cause significant distress) and compulsions (stereotyped behaviors and/or mental acts performed to reduce the distress). While obsessions are related to cognitive inflexibility, compulsions mirror dysfunctional response/behavior inhibition. The Portuguese validated version of the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) assesses three independent but related factors: Doubting/Rumination (more cognitive); Checking and Cleaning (more behavioral). Aim.-To study (a) the correlations between the MOCI dimensions and psychological distress; (b) the mediator role each MOCI dimension on the relationship between the other MOCI dimensions and psychological distress. Methods.-247 university students (78.9% girls, mean aged 20.5 ± 1.64 years) answered the Portuguese versions of the MOCI and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Correlation/mediation were performed using process for SPSS. Results.-All the MOCI dimensions presented significant positive correlations with Anxiety and Depression (r > .16, p < .05). Doubting/Rumination and Checking also correlated with Stress (r > .22, p < .01). Doubting/Rumination fully mediated the relationship between Checking and Anxiety/Stress/Depression; and between Cleaning and Anxiety/Depression. Neither Checking or Cleaning were mediators in the relationship between Doubting/Rumination and psychological distress. Conclusions.-Our results of OC symptoms in a non-clinical sample suggest that compulsions may boost obsessions, and this relation generates psychological distress. Our data supports the Compulsive-Obsessive Disorder hypothesis which postulates that obsessions in OCD may be a post hoc rationalization of otherwise inexplicable compulsive urges. The "compulsive urges" would be a consequence of a deficit in goal-directed learning, causing these individuals to over-rely on their habit system, resulting in inappropriate persistence of habits (compulsions).