PubMed · 10693226
Posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder: a three-factor model.
Abstract
This paper presents a three-factor causal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which posits that exposure to long-term traumatic stress generates an inordinate degree of anxiety during the psychological development of the premorbid OCD child. In response to these conditions the child evolves a distinct cognitive style characterized by exaggerated threat appraisal and magical beliefs, and experiences alterations in brain metabolism. An entire functional brain system (a basal ganglia-orbitofrontal circuit) enters into a state of enhanced responsiveness following exposure to protracted threat. Over time the threshold for stimulation is dramatically lowered, resulting in a hypersensitivity to cues that signify potential harm. Individuals adapt to this hypersensitivity through a variety of strategies, which constitute OCD.
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W M Dinn, C L Harris, R C Raynard. 1999. Posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder: a three-factor model.. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1999.11024877
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