Developmental and self-related vulnerability factors in relationship-centered obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms: A moderated mediation model

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that high parental overprotection and insecure attachment patterns are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Moreover, self-worth depending on different domains have been held partly responsible for the occurrence and persistence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in related domains. The present study examines how overprotective parental attitudes relates to the endorsement of relationship-centered obsessive thinking through attachment anxiety, especially among individuals whose self-worth is highly dependent on their partner's flaws and failures. The sample consisted of 538 Turkish adults who were in an intimate relationship. They were asked to fill out the self-report measures of retrospective parental overprotection, attachment anxiety, partner-contingent self-worth, and relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Indirect effects were tested using Model 14 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Path modeling analysis revealed that anxious attachment mediated the relationship between high parental overprotection and relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In addition, partner-contingent self-worth moderated the relationship between attachment anxiety and relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These findings supported the link between developmental and self-related risk factors and relationship-centered obsessive thinking. This preliminary study yielded promising results for future research in the area.