Relationships between anger, symptoms, and cognitive factors in OCD checkers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether individuals diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) with primary checking compulsions report higher levels of trait anger and anger expression compared with a student control group, and whether trait anger and anger expression are correlated with specific beliefs and interpretations that are common among individuals who compulsively check. A group of individuals with OCD reporting significant checking compulsions ( n=33) and a group of undergraduate students ( n=143) completed a questionnaire package that included measures of trait anger and anger expression, as well as measures of obsessive–compulsive symptoms and beliefs. The compulsive checking group reported greater trait anger, though not greater anger expression, than the student control group. Furthermore, beliefs concerning perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty were positively correlated with anger expression and trait anger among compulsive checkers but not among the student control group. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of cognitive–behavioural treatments for and models of compulsive checking in OCD.