Associations Between Fear of Guilt and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

Kenny, NC; Starcevic, V; Berle, D

Associations Between Fear of Guilt and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

Kenny, NC Starcevic, V Berle, D

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Publisher:: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BEHAVIOUR CHANGE, 2022
Issue Date:: 2022-08-24

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kenny, NC
dc.contributor.author	Starcevic, V
dc.contributor.author	Berle, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-2220
dc.date.accessioned	2022-12-01T01:37:34Z
dc.date.available	2022-12-01T01:37:34Z
dc.date.issued	2022-08-24
dc.identifier.citation	BEHAVIOUR CHANGE, 2022
dc.identifier.issn	0813-4839
dc.identifier.issn	2049-7768
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163979
dc.description.abstract	<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Half of the people who seek treatment for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) do not benefit from first-line interventions. A better understanding of the factors associated with obsessions and compulsions may inform the development of more effective treatments. This study aimed to examine whether a fear of guilt is associated with obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Fear of guilt incorporates two domains: punishment (the tendency to believe that guilt means one is bad and to punish oneself for feelings of guilt) and harm prevention (the tendency to believe that guilt implies failure to be one's ideal self and the drive to prevent feelings of guilt). Online questionnaires assessing OCD symptoms, fear of guilt, and other related factors were administered to 192 adults. In contrast to previous studies, key conceptually relevant constructs, such as shame, anxiety, and depression symptoms, were also assessed. The punishment dimension of fear of guilt subscale was positively associated with OCD symptoms controlling for age, sex, guilt, shame, responsibility for harm, generalised anxiety, and depression. The punishment domain of fear of guilt may therefore be an important factor to consider and potentially target in treatments for OCD. Future investigations with clinical populations may clarify the importance of fear of guilt in OCD.</jats:p>
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
dc.relation.ispartof	BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1017/bec.2022.14
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1503 Business and Management, 1701 Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Clinical Psychology
dc.title	Associations Between Fear of Guilt and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Clinical Psychology
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-12-01T01:37:33Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Abstract Half of the people who seek treatment for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) do not benefit from first-line interventions. A better understanding of the factors associated with obsessions and compulsions may inform the development of more effective treatments. This study aimed to examine whether a fear of guilt is associated with obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Fear of guilt incorporates two domains: punishment (the tendency to believe that guilt means one is bad and to punish oneself for feelings of guilt) and harm prevention (the tendency to believe that guilt implies failure to be one's ideal self and the drive to prevent feelings of guilt). Online questionnaires assessing OCD symptoms, fear of guilt, and other related factors were administered to 192 adults. In contrast to previous studies, key conceptually relevant constructs, such as shame, anxiety, and depression symptoms, were also assessed. The punishment dimension of fear of guilt subscale was positively associated with OCD symptoms controlling for age, sex, guilt, shame, responsibility for harm, generalised anxiety, and depression. The punishment domain of fear of guilt may therefore be an important factor to consider and potentially target in treatments for OCD. Future investigations with clinical populations may clarify the importance of fear of guilt in OCD.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163979