Introduction:Research has demonstrated the role of disgust sensitivity in contamination-related OCD, particularly in patients who are not afraid of specific threatening consequences which might follow becoming contaminated. The relation between the fear of guilt and obsessive-compulsive symptoms has also been supported: many patients are afraid of being responsible for harming themselves or someone else because of their own carelessness or negligence. It remains unclear whether these two pathways that lead to the genesis of OCD are independent or not. Our hypothesis is that disgust sensitivity is strongly related to guilt and that the preservation of a self-image of moral integrity may be underlying all forms of OCD. When OCD sufferers do have experiences that threaten this self-image, even if only imaginative, they feel extremely guilty, mentally contaminated and disgusted by themselves. The sense of moral dirt manifests itself with an increase in disgust sensitivity that triggers the onset of a consequent contamination fear. Method:More than 450 non-clinical subjects were asked to complete a battery of self-report questionnaires (Guilt Inventory, Disgust Scale Revised, Contamination subscale of Vancouver Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II). Structural equation modelling assessed the relationships among disgust sensitivity, guilt and contamination fears, controlling for depression. results:Even if preliminary results are still not available, we expect that guilt (moral dirt), disgust sensitivity and contamination fear will be strongly related, even when controlling for depressive symptoms. Otherwise, we expect that the model will support our hypothesis that disgust sensitivity has a mediating role between guilt, loss of a self-image of moral integrity and contamination fear. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings will be discussed in comparison to previous studies about the role of guilt and disgust sensitivity in contamination-related OCD and its implications in clinical setting.
Melli G., Gremigni P., Stopani E., Mori S., Carraresi C., Bulli F. (2011). Contamination fear in OCD: the relation between guilt and disgust sensitivity. REYKJAVÍK : EABCT.
Contamination fear in OCD: the relation between guilt and disgust sensitivity
GREMIGNI, PAOLA;
2011
Abstract
Introduction:Research has demonstrated the role of disgust sensitivity in contamination-related OCD, particularly in patients who are not afraid of specific threatening consequences which might follow becoming contaminated. The relation between the fear of guilt and obsessive-compulsive symptoms has also been supported: many patients are afraid of being responsible for harming themselves or someone else because of their own carelessness or negligence. It remains unclear whether these two pathways that lead to the genesis of OCD are independent or not. Our hypothesis is that disgust sensitivity is strongly related to guilt and that the preservation of a self-image of moral integrity may be underlying all forms of OCD. When OCD sufferers do have experiences that threaten this self-image, even if only imaginative, they feel extremely guilty, mentally contaminated and disgusted by themselves. The sense of moral dirt manifests itself with an increase in disgust sensitivity that triggers the onset of a consequent contamination fear. Method:More than 450 non-clinical subjects were asked to complete a battery of self-report questionnaires (Guilt Inventory, Disgust Scale Revised, Contamination subscale of Vancouver Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II). Structural equation modelling assessed the relationships among disgust sensitivity, guilt and contamination fears, controlling for depression. results:Even if preliminary results are still not available, we expect that guilt (moral dirt), disgust sensitivity and contamination fear will be strongly related, even when controlling for depressive symptoms. Otherwise, we expect that the model will support our hypothesis that disgust sensitivity has a mediating role between guilt, loss of a self-image of moral integrity and contamination fear. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings will be discussed in comparison to previous studies about the role of guilt and disgust sensitivity in contamination-related OCD and its implications in clinical setting.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
