Potential mediators of the association between childhood maltreatment and obsessive-compulsive disorder in adulthood

Traumatic Experiences and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

“…In line with recent findings on patients with clinically diagnosed OCD (Boger et al, 2020), this study found a full mediation of dissociation in the relationship between overall exposure to traumatic experiences and OCSs, between emotional neglect and OCSs, and between emotional abuse and OCSs, providing further insight on the psychological processes involved in OCSs. The mediating role of dissociation in the relationship between traumatic experiences and OCSs might be understood by referring to the paradoxically protective function of dissociation for traumatized individuals (Granieri et al, 2018; Şar, 2017; Şar et al, 2007; Schimmenti, 2018, 2022), especially for individuals whose emotional needs have not been recognized and met since the early stages of their development (Schimmenti, 2017; Schimmenti and Caretti, 2016).…”

“…The relationship between OCSs and dissociation is well established in literature, with extensive evidence in both clinical (Boger et al, 2020; Boysan et al, 2018; Pozza and Dèttore, 2019; Tapancı et al, 2018; Tatli et al, 2018) and nonclinical (Aardema and Wu, 2011; Boysan, 2014; Boysan et al, 2022; Soffer-Dudek, 2014, 2017, 2019; Soffer-Dudek et al, 2015) samples. Nosographic classification systems describe dissociation as a disruption or discontinuity in the normal integration of psychological functions, including consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; World Health Organization, 2022).…”

“…Surprisingly, there is a paucity of research investigating the relationship between traumatic experiences, dissociation, and OCSs. Only one study has examined the mediating role of dissociation in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and symptoms severity in OCD patients (Boger et al, 2020), but this relationship has not been investigated among individuals from the community. It is possible that some individuals exposed to traumatic experiences fail in elaborating and integrating these distressing experiences and thus dissociate them.…”

The effect of childhood maltreatment on suicidal ideation through cognitive emotion regulation strategies and specific obsessive–compulsive symptoms in obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…Cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERSs) refer to adaptive and maladaptive, conscious and mental strategies which are used by an individual to regulate emotional states after experiencing emotions (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006). Childhood maltreatment was found to be associated with emotion dysregulation in OCD patients (Boger et al, 2020). Also, studies have shown that emotional processes and emotion dysregulation are associated with OCD symptoms and their severity (Eichholz et al, 2020; Fergus & Bardeen, 2014; Khosravani, Ardestani, et al, 2017; Khosravani, Ardestani, Bastan, & Malayeri, 2020; Khosravani, Ardestani, Mohammadzadeh, et al, 2020) as well as suicidal risk (Albert et al, 2019; De Berardis et al, 2015) in patients with OCD.…”

“…The present study aimed to assess the direct and indirect effects of childhood maltreatment on suicidal ideation via adaptive and maladaptive CERSs and the OC symptoms of UOTs and RFH. Evidence has shown that childhood maltreatment is associated with emotion dysregulation, UOTs and RFH in OCD (Boger et al, 2020; Despotes et al, 2021; Franklin & Raines, 2019; Rukiye & Erbay, 2018). Also, childhood maltreatment, emotional processes and the OC symptoms of UOTs and RFH are associated with suicidal risk in patients with OCD (De Berardis et al, 2015; Khosravani, Kamali, et al, 2017).…”