Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder is Characterized by a Lack of Adaptive Coping Rather than an Excess of Maladaptive Coping

The present study aimed to elucidate the profile of coping in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in order to discern whether the disorder is characterized by an excess of maladaptive coping skills and/or a lack of adaptive coping skills. Sixty individuals with OCD were compared with 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cognitive therapy and research 2018-10, Vol.42 (5), p.650-660
Main Authors: Moritz, Steffen, Fink, Jakob, Miegel, Franziska, Nitsche, Katharina, Kraft, Vivien, Tonn, Peter, Jelinek, Lena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Children
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Coping
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Original Article
Psychopathology
Quality of Life Research
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Summary:The present study aimed to elucidate the profile of coping in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in order to discern whether the disorder is characterized by an excess of maladaptive coping skills and/or a lack of adaptive coping skills. Sixty individuals with OCD were compared with 110 individuals with depression and 1050 nonclinical controls on the Maladaptive and Adaptive Coping Styles Questionnaire (MAX). Psychopathology was assessed with the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression (PHQ-9). Individuals with OCD and depression displayed more maladaptive coping and avoidance as well as less adaptive coping than nonclinical controls. Importantly, adaptive coping was significantly lower in individuals with OCD than in those with depression at a medium effect size, whereas the clinical groups were indistinguishable on maladaptive coping and avoidance. Lack of adaptive coping was strongly correlated with resistance to symptoms and poor insight in OCD (Y-BOCS), even after controlling for depression. Lack of adaptive coping skills may represent a specific pathogenetic factor in OCD. Longitudinal studies need to clarify whether strengthening adaptive skills during childhood and adolescence may help to prevent the progression from subclinical to manifest OCD.
ISSN:0147-5916
1573-2819
DOI:10.1007/s10608-018-9902-0