The Experience of Being Emotionally Maltreated and Self-regulatory Strategies in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: Pathways to Depressive Symptoms

This study aimed to investigate the effects of childhood emotional maltreatment on depressive symptoms in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 300), with a specific focus on the mediating role of self-regulatory strategies, including experiential avoidance, cognitive avoidance, and emotional suppression. Participants completed various measures, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, th e Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, the Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. The results revealed that childhood emotional maltreatment had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms, while controlling for t he severity of the disease. Furthermore, experiential avoidance was identified as a significant mediator, while cognitive avoidance and emotional suppression did not show any significant mediation effects. These findings suggest that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder who have experience d emotional maltreatment during childhood may employ ineffective coping mechanisms, which could potentially contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Hence, when addressing depressive symptoms in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is crucial to consider their experience o f childhood maltreatment and the strategies they use in order to effectively manage their distressing encounters, illness, and assoc...
Source: Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research