Maladaptive Guilt Research Articles

Guilt and Shame in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a tremendous psychiatric illness with a variety of severe symptoms. Feelings of shame and guilt are universal social emotions that fundamentally shape the way people interact with each other. Mental illness is therefore often related to pronounced feelings of shame and guilt in a maladaptive form. Methods: A total of 62 participants (38 women and 24 men) were clinically and psychometrically investigated. Results: The OCD patients (n = 31) showed a maladaptive guilt and shame profile, characterized by increased interpersonal feelings of guilt accompanied by a stronger tendency to self-criticism and increased punitive sense of guilt with a simultaneous prevailing tendency to perfectionism, as well as an increased concern for the suffering of others. The proneness to profuse shame in OCD patients seems to be in the context of the violation of inner values and a negative self-image with persistent self-criticism. Conclusion: Although there are limitations with a small sample size in this monocentric approach, our study underlines the importance of an individual consideration of the leading obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, especially in the context of very personal feelings of guilt and shame. Further multidimensional studies on guilt and shame could contribute to their implementation more strongly in individualized psychotherapy.

Особенности изучения переживания чувства вины у осужденных в исправительном учреждении

This article presents the features of studying the experience of guilt in convicts in a correctional institution. The recognition of guilt by convicts is a special criterion for the correction of convicts. The article presents an empirical study conducted on the subject under study. Theoretical and methodological approaches studying guilt as a psychological characteristic are reflected, as well as the complexity of ongoing research on this topic has been noted more than once. Thus, researchers in the field of penitentiary sciences pay attention to the peculiarities of the experience of guilt by convicts in places of deprivation of liberty. The relevance of the study is confirmed by the low level of study of the phenomenon of guilt experience by convicts in a correctional institution. For an empirical study, the goal was defined: to study the characteristics of the experience of guilt in convicts held in places of deprivation of liberty. The object of the study is the feeling of guilt itself. The subject of the study was the peculiarities of the experience of guilt by convicts in a correctional institution. The hypothesis of the study was determined in such a way that the guilt of repeat offenders is less pronounced than that of those who committed a crime for the first time. The study sample consisted of 60 male convicts aged 30 to 60 years, who were divided into 2 experimental groups, taking into account the recurrence of crimes. Diagnostic tools have identified the following methods: the method "Measuring feelings of guilt and shame" (Test of Self-Conscious Affect - TOSCA) (Tangney J.P.) (J. P. Tangney) TOSCA and the test "Measuring maladaptive guilt" (IGQ), developed by American psychologists (O'Connor et al.) in adaptation of E. V. Korotkova. The conducted research allowed us to identify a number of patterns and features. According to the results of the study, some practical recommendations were given to employees of the psychological services of the correctional institution on the organization of preventive, educational and psychocorrective effects on the personality of convicts from their stay in the quarantine department. It is especially important to carry out appropriate work to train convicts of a correctional institution in socially acceptable communication skills, the adoption of an appropriate socially approved lifestyle that will help them adapt to later life after release and cope with the experience of guilt at the present moment.

Переживание личностью опыта домашнего (партнерского) насилия

<p><strong>Relevance.</strong> Domestic violence is becoming an increasingly relevant problem in our time. Despite the removal of taboo, this problem still remains understudied, especially in the context of phenomenology. The study considers different approaches to the problem of abusive relationships, types of violence, as well as constructs such as experience (F.E. Vasilyuk) and relationships (V.N. Myasishchev). <strong>Purpose of the study.</strong> This article presents the materials of the study, which aims to describe the peculiarities of a personality's experience of domestic violence. The study involved 108 people, among whom there were 79 women and 29 men (the average age of respondents was 30 years). <strong>Methods.</strong> Results were based on an online questionnaire and the Measurement of Maladaptive Guilt Questionnaire, as well as an in–depth phenomenological interview with female survivors of domestic violence. Data were processed using frequency, comparative (U–Mann–Whitney test) and correlation analysis, and factor analysis (principal component method). <strong>Results.</strong> It was found that the reliving of this experience in the respondents is presented on 3 levels of attitudes, and consequences such as loss of self and increased existential guilt were noted. <strong>Conclusions.</strong> The findings of the study indicate the potential for the application of phenomenology in psychotherapy with survivors of domestic violence.</p>

Domain-Differentiated Parental Guilt Induction: Understanding the Structure and Correlates of a Novel Measure

SYNOPSIS Objective. Vignette-based research shows that youth evaluate parental guilt induction (GI) differently depending on the type of issue over which guilt is induced. However, domain differences in the prevalence and associations of parental GI have not been examined in real-world parenting behavior. This study examined the utility of a novel measure of domain-differentiated parental guilt induction (DDPGI) focusing on its psychometric properties and correlates. Design. Surveys were completed by 123 U.S. adolescents (M age = 13.99 years, 54% female, 53% European American) and their mothers. Analyses included factor analysis and invariance tests, then structural equation modeling. Results. Consistent with social domain theory, maternal GI over legitimately regulated issues (moral, conventional, prudential) and personal issues were statistically separable and had differential associations with parenting and youth adjustment. When reported by adolescents, maternal GI over legitimately regulated issues was uniquely associated with more inductive discipline, adolescent empathy, perspective-taking, and moral self-relevance. In contrast, maternal GI over personal issues, especially at high levels, was uniquely associated with more maternal psychological control, maladaptive guilt induction, adolescent adjustment problems, and fewer adolescent moral cognitions and emotions. When reported by mothers, maternal GI showed no significant links with youth adjustment and positive associations between legitimately regulated guilt induction and both adaptive and maladaptive parenting behaviors. Conclusions. Results highlight the importance of measuring parental GI as its own construct, considering the topics over which guilt is induced when conceptualizing the parenting practice as positive or negative, and recognizing family member differences in perceptions of GI.

Cortical thinning in preschoolers with maladaptive guilt

Maladaptive guilt is a central symptom of preschool-onset depression associated with severe psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood. Although studies have found that maladaptive guilt is associated with structural alterations in the anterior insula (AI) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in middle childhood and adolescence, no study has examined structural neural correlates of maladaptive guilt in preschool, when this symptom first emerges. This study examined a pooled sample of 3-to 6-year-old children (N = 76; 40.8% female) from two studies, both which used the same type of magnetic resonance imaging scanner and conducted diagnostic interviews for depression that included clinician ratings of whether children met criteria for maladaptive guilt. Preschoolers with maladaptive guilt displayed significantly thinner dmPFC than children without this symptom. Neither children's depressive severity nor their vegetative or other emotional symptoms of depression were associated with dmPFC thickness, suggesting that dmPFC thinning is specific to maladaptive guilt. Neither AI gray matter volume or thickness nor dmPFC gray matter volume differed between children with and without maladaptive guilt. This study is the first to identify a structural biomarker for a specific depressive symptom in preschool. Findings may inform neurobiological models of the development of depression and aid in detection of this symptom.

Prevalence and correlates of maladaptive guilt in middle childhood

BackgroundMaladaptive guilt can develop by age three and is associated with severe affective psychopathology in adolescents and adults. Yet, little is known about its prevalence prior to adolescence, or which children are at greatest risk of developing this symptom. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of maladaptive guilt in middle childhood. MethodsThis study examined a large community sample of 9-to 10-year-old children (N = 4485) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Maladaptive guilt was assessed through the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for DSM-5. Parental rejection, family conflict, and parental depression were assessed via questionnaires. ResultsIn depressed children, a 1-month prevalence of maladaptive guilt of 18.4% and a lifetime prevalence of 30.8% was found. Lifetime rates ranged from 1.8 to 4.1% in children with other psychiatric disorders. Cross-sectionally, maladaptive guilt was associated with lower family income-to-needs, greater family conflict, a history of maternal depression, and greater parental rejection. These findings held when controlling for children's depressive severity, indicating that these associations are specific to maladaptive guilt. LimitationsMaladaptive guilt was assessed through one item, though many studies of maladaptive guilt measure the symptom in this manner. ConclusionsFindings suggest that it may be beneficial for clinicians to assess for maladaptive guilt beyond the context of assessment for depression, particularly with children of low socioeconomic status and children of depressed mothers, whom this study suggests are at higher risk. Negative family climates and parenting might also be important targets of preventative interventions.

Reparative prosocial behaviors alleviate children's guilt.

Guilt theoretically functions to motivate reparative behaviors, which, in turn, theoretically alleviate guilt and prevent depression. Although empirical research supports these theories in adults, studies have not investigated causal relations between guilt and reparative behaviors in children. Thus, this study examined whether guilt motivates children's reparative behaviors, and whether their reparative behaviors successfully alleviate guilty feelings. Six-to 10-year olds (N = 97) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions. Children in the experimental condition were led to believe they had transgressed to cause a peer's distress. Children self-reported their guilt following the transgression, and then had the opportunity to repair the transgression by giving stickers and writing a note to the victimized peer. Following the repair opportunity, children self-reported their guilt a second time. Children in the experimental condition (i.e., children who felt guilty) engaged in greater reparative behavior than children in a no-guilt condition who were led to believe they had caused a peer's slightly positive emotions. Further, children in the experimental condition reported reduced guilt across the first to second guilt measurement, whereas children in the no-repair condition (who transgressed but did not have a repair opportunity) did not report reduced guilt over time. Results demonstrate that guilt and reparative behaviors function as theorized in middle childhood and may begin to inform reparative interventions aimed at preventing maladaptive guilt and depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Early socioemotional competence, psychopathology, and latent class profiles of reparative prosocial behaviors from preschool through early adolescence.

Children who have difficulty using reparative behaviors following transgressions display a wide range of poorer social and emotional outcomes. Despite the importance of reparative skills, no study has charted the developmental trajectory of these behaviors or pinpointed predictors of poorer reparative abilities. To address these gaps in the literature, this study applied growth mixture modeling to parent reports of children's reparative behaviors (N = 230) in a 9-year longitudinal data set spanning from preschool to early adolescence. Three distinct trajectories of reparative behaviors were found: a low-stable, moderate-stable, and high-stable latent class. Poorer emotion understanding, social withdrawal, social rejection, and maladaptive guilt in the preschool period predicted membership in a low-stable reparative trajectory. Externalizing diagnoses, particularly conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, also predicted membership in a low-stable reparative trajectory. Preschool-onset depression predicted membership in a low-stable reparative trajectory through high levels of maladaptive guilt. The findings from this study suggest that socioemotional deficits in the preschool period set children on longstanding trajectories of impaired reparative responding. Thus, emotion understanding, social functioning, maladaptive guilt, and early psychiatric symptoms should be targeted in early preventive interventions.

Predictors of mental pollution: The contribution of religion, parenting strategies, and childhood trauma

One presentation of obsessive-compulsive disorder that has begun to receive research attention is mental pollution, a sense of inward contamination that persists regardless of the presence of external contaminants. Given the need to better understand this phenomenon, we sought to identify predictor variables that could inform theory, treatment, and prevention. A large number of undergraduate students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing personal experiences, religious variables, parenting strategies, and childhood trauma, that appear theoretically relevant to mental pollution. Results indicated that mental pollution was not associated with degree of religiosity, yet positively associated with exposure to childhood trauma and maladaptive guilt induction strategies by one's parents. Implications for the assessment and cognitive-behavioral treatment of mental pollution, as well as limitations of the study, are discussed.

Depression, Guilt, and Tibetan Buddhism

Depression appears to be somewhat epidemic in the modern world. In prior empirical studies we found depression significantly associated with empathy-based guilt, empathic distress, and an overly active or misattributing moral system. In this study, we compared 98 Buddhists, who were primarily Tibetan meditation practitioners to 438 non-Buddhist, non-practicing community adults on a measure of depression along with measures of maladaptive guilt, empathic distress, anxiety and altruism. Our findings demonstrated that practitioners were significantly lower in depression, pathogenic guilt, anxiety, and empathic distress, and significantly higher on agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience and compassionate altruism directed towards strangers. Intensity of practice significantly correlated with positive outcomes. In addition, we found that within the population of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, those who endorsed the statement that the goal of meditation was other-focused (for the benefit of all sentient beings) were significantly lower in depression, empathic distress, and anxiety, and significantly higher in cognitive empathy (perspective-taking) compared to practitioners whose goal of meditation was self-focused.

Shame and guilt in preschool depression: evidence for elevations in self‐conscious emotions in depression as early as age 3

Empirical findings from two divergent bodies of literature illustrate that depression can arise in the preschool period and that the complex self-conscious emotions of guilt and shame may develop normatively as early as age 3. Despite these related findings, few studies have examined whether the emotions of shame and guilt are salient in early childhood depression. This is important to further understand the emotional characteristics of preschool depression. Based on the hypothesis that preschool depression would be uniquely associated with higher levels of shame and maladaptive guilt, these emotions were investigated in a sample that included depressed, anxious, and disruptive disordered preschoolers as well as healthy peers using multiple methods. Structured psychiatric diagnoses were derived in a sample of N = 305 preschoolers ascertained from community sites. Preschoolers' tendency to experience shame and guilt were explored using a story stem completion task coded by raters blind to symptoms and diagnosis of the subjects. Guilt experience and reparation behaviors were also measured using parent report. Based on preschooler's emotion themes during the narrative tasks, gender, age, and depression severity predicted unique and significant portions of the variance in preschoolers' expressions of shame. Parent report measures revealed that increasing depression severity was associated with children's more frequent experiences of guilt feelings and less frequent attempts at guilt reparation (maladaptive guilt). Findings demonstrated that high levels of shame and maladaptive guilt were related to preschool onset depression when using observational measures of children's internal representations of their self-conscious emotions as well as parent report. These findings demonstrate continuity of these core emotions of depression as early as age 3. These findings suggest that guilt and shame should be explored in clinical assessments of young children and may be an important focus for future studies of the developmental psychopathology of depression.

Protecting the sacred and expressions of rituality: Examining the relationship between extrinsic dimensions of religiosity and unhealthy guilt

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between extrinsic religiosity and unhealthy guilt by testing two specific hypotheses. Using multidimensional measures of religious orientation and guilt, among 344 (169 male and 175 female) adults, and consistent with predictions; extrinsic-personal religiosity was found to be related to trait and state guilt, and extrinsic-social religiosity was found to be related to moral standards guilt. The present findings suggest evidence for a present conceptualization of the relationship between extrinsic religiosity and unhealthy guilt as the result of internal and external conflicts. The findings suggest that, when looking at maladaptive guilt among religious clients in clinical, therapeutic or counselling settings, it may be crucial to distinguish between dimensions of extrinsic religiosity and unhealthy guilt.