The effects of obsession type and diagnostic label on OCD stigma

Publication date: Available online 24 September 2019Source: Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related DisordersAuthor(s): Zoe Homonoff, Mark J. SciuttoAbstractIn this paper, we examined the degree to which stigma toward individuals with OCD is influenced by the specific form of obsession and the disclosure of a diagnostic label. Participants (N = 290) viewed a video of a young woman who presented with either “harming” obsessions (HO) or “just right” obsessions (JRO) and was either labeled or not labeled with a diagnosis of OCD. After viewing the video, participants completed a survey measuring stigmatizing attributions (pity, danger, blame) and desired social distance. Results indicated that participants showed greater stigmatizing attitudes when the individual depicted was experiencing HO compared to JRO. However, the effect of obsession type depended on whether or not a diagnosis of OCD was disclosed. In general, the disclosure of a formal diagnosis of OCD mitigated stigma in the HO condition but not in the JRO condition. Implications of this study include a need for anti-stigma efforts to recognize different obsession types as a part of OCD and that the label of OCD may be more important for reducing stigma for some obsession types more than others.
Source: Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research