Self-vulnerabilities, attachment and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms: Examining the moderating role of attachment security on fear of self

Abstract

Recently, feared self-perceptions and attachment insecurities have been shown to be associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and cognitions. In the current study, we examined the moderating role of attachment security in the form of low dispositional attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on the link between fear of self and OCD symptoms. Two hundred and thirty-nine community participants completed a battery of questionnaires online. Consistent with our hypothesis, the link between fear of self and OCD symptoms was moderated by dispositional attachment security. Specifically, participants showing high fear of self tendencies, but scoring low on both dispositional attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance showed less OCD symptoms than participants with high fear of self but showing either high attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance. We discuss the role of attachment and attachment-related processes within the proposed theoretical model and explore its implications to our understanding of OCD symptoms and their treatment.