COGNITIVE APPRAISALS IN OBESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER & OTHER ANXIETY DISORDERS

Abstract

This research applied ideas from the cognition-emotion literature to some of the theories in the OCD literature, and in so doing took'Va multi-dimensional approach to the understanding of OCD. The aim of the study was to explore the nature of 'emotionalcognitive profiles'^ of people with OCD,. and to compare these 'profiles' with those of people with other anxiety disorders and people from a non-clinical population.. Participants from the three groups i.e. an OCD group, ah anxiety group and a non-clinical group were asked to rate a number of appraisal dimensions, in response to four vignettes. There were 10 participants in each group (N=30). The vignettes were constructed to evoke feelings of anxiety, guilt, anger and pride. The responses of each group were then compared. The results showed that when anxiety is evoked, both people suffering with OCD and people suffering with other anxiety disorders, perceived more personal responsibility and more harm to self than the non-clinical group. The OCD group also seemed to perceive more personal responsiblity in the situation of guilt, which provoked discussion about the nature and role of guilt and responsibility in the aetiology and maintenance of this disorder. The results also led to some debate about the relationship between anxiety, depression and OCD and finally, a formulation of OCD was proposed. The formulation was an attempt to incorporate thinking from both cognitive and psychodynamic perspectives and to draw together some of the theories and models of OCD, which had been discussed in the study.

Date of Award	1997
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Plymouth