The effects of childhood emotional abuse on aggressive obsessions among patients with obsessive compulsive disorder may be mediated by symptoms of depression and anxiety

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between childhood traumas (CTs) and severity and symptom dimensions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). METHOD: One hundred and sixty (160) patients diagnosed with OCD were included. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to the participants. RESULTS: According to a cutoff score of > 35 for CTQ total score, 71 (44.4%) OCD patients had no CT history and 89 (55.6%) OCD patients had CTs history. There were no significant difference between the two groups with regard to YBOCS total score or to obsessions and compulsions except aggressive obsessions. The associations between aggressive obsessions, BDI total score, BAI total score and emotional abuse were statistically significant, but the correlation between aggressive obsessions and emotional abuse was no longer significant after controlling for BDI and BAI total scores. In the parallel multiple mediator model analysis, there were not statistically significant mediator effects of depression and anxiety variables in the relationship between emotional abuse and aggressive obsessions. Mobility in childhood was significantly correlated with physical abuse, and this correlation was still significant after controlling for BDI and BAI total scores. BDI total score was significantly associated with sexual abuse. CONCLUSION: The relationship between CTs and OCD should be reconsidered in light of other contributing factors such as comorbidity.

Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

“…All of the ten included studies ( 19 – 21 , 23 , 34 – 39 ) employed a cross-sectional design except for Wang et al ( 39 ) and Bey et al ( 20 ), which employed a case-control design. All studies used the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) to evaluate the severity of the OCS in OCD patients.…”

“…As is well-known, studies of comorbidity in OCD have reported that OCD sufferers are often accompanied by a high level of depressive symptoms ( 2 – 4 , 18 ). A clinical study that enrolled 160 patients diagnosed with OCD found a higher depressive level in the childhood trauma (CT)-exposed group than non-CT exposed group ( 19 ). Moreover, empirical studies have pointed out the unique relationship between the CM and the severity of depressive symptoms in OCD ( 19 , 20 ).…”

“…A clinical study that enrolled 160 patients diagnosed with OCD found a higher depressive level in the childhood trauma (CT)-exposed group than non-CT exposed group ( 19 ). Moreover, empirical studies have pointed out the unique relationship between the CM and the severity of depressive symptoms in OCD ( 19 , 20 ).…”

Association between relational trauma and empathy among male offenders in China

“…More recent research, however, suggests that traumatic experiences could hinder ability to understand the views and feelings of others (Jonathan et al., 2019). Childhood trauma is a known risk factor for numerous psychopathologies in adulthood, including aggressive behaviours (Gorodetsky et al., 2014; Karatzias et al., 2018; Kart & Türkçapar, 2019). Further, trauma, both experienced and witnessed, is often repeated into adulthood (Maniglio, 2009; Nancy & Jing, 2012).…”

Childhood emotional maltreatment, maladaptive coping and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…The point to note is that childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM; i.e., emotional abuse and neglect), which is a vulnerable factor for psychopathology (Taillieu et al, 2016) when maladaptive coping is widely used (Bell & Higgins, 2015;Khosravani, Messman-Moore, et al, 2019), has also been found to have a more important role than other aspects of childhood maltreatment in OCD symptoms (Mathews et al, 2008;Renkema et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2020), such as unacceptable thoughts and responsibility for harm in particular (Berman et al, 2013;Kart & Türkçapar, 2019;Rukiye & Erbay, 2018).…”