SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “OBSESSIONS”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Two different types of obsession: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions.

We propose that obsessions are categorized into two subtypes, i.e. autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions, which are different in terms of identifiability of their evoking stimuli, subjective experiences, contents, and subsequent cognitive processes. Autogenous obsessions tend to come abruptly into consciousness without identifiable evoking stimuli, which are perceived as ego-dystonic and aversive enough to be repelled, and include sexual, aggressive, and immoral thoughts or impulses. On the other hand, reactive obsessions are evoked by identifiable external stimuli, which are perceived as relatively realistic and rational enough to do something toward the stimuli, and include thoughts about contamination, mistake, accident, asymmetry, loss, etc. Through three empirical studies, we confirmed the differences between the two types of obsessional intrusion in their frequency, subjective experiences, subsequent appraisal and control strategy. In particular, autogenous obsessions led to high appraisal on 'control over thought' and 'importance of thought' and frequent use of 'avoidant control strategies', while reactive obsessions linked with high appraisal on 'responsibility' and frequent use of 'confrontational control strategies'. These findings are expected to provide a basis for classifying and explaining the heterogeneous phenomena of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

[Obsessive disorders and syndromes and affective disorders. Apropos of a French epidemiologic obsessive compulsive disorders and obsessive compulsive syndromes DRT survey].

What was known in the past as "obsessive psychoneurosis" was considered to be rare, chronic and difficult to treat. New definitions proposed by APA diagnostic systems (DSM III, DSM III-R, DSM IV) and the WHO (ICD-10) have opened up the possibility of epidemiologic studies in the population as a whole and among patients consulting psychiatrists and general practitioners. All these studies reveal a much higher prevalence, the incidence increasing from 0.05% (former estimate) to about 2.5% of the general population (American ECA survey). This implies new clinical and etiopathogenic concepts of this pathology. Experience of so-called antidepressant drugs, with an essentially serotoninergic action, bringing about a notable improvement in obsessive disorders, has greatly contributed to these changes. COD and COS are very often interlinked with other psychiatric symptomatology, this frequent co-morbidity raising the question of the autonomy of certain syndromes, as well as that of the borders between the normal and pathological. The TOC of clinicians are not the same as the TOC of epidemiologists. Another problem is that of the role played by these obsessive disorders in what has been referred to as "general neurotic syndrome". What is the relationship between mood disorders and anxious pathology as a whole, insofar as the same drugs are indicated in these various disease patterns. We report here the results of the DRT survey involving patients presenting for the first time to psychiatrists in office practice and concerning 731 COD and COS, i.e. 17 % of 4 364 adult out-patients (6.5 % definite COD, 2.7 % probable COD and 7.5 % COS).

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Religiosity and religious obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Religion has often been thought to play a part in the genesis of some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we explored the relationship between religiosity, religious obsessions, and other clinical characteristics of OCD. Forty-five outpatients with OCD were evaluated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Checklist (Y-BOCC) as well as the Religious Practices Index (RPI), which was developed for this study. On the basis of these evaluations, 42% of the patients were found to have religious obsessions. Despite differences in the frequency of religious obsessions found in this study compared with others, a factor analysis revealed the symptom dimensions to be similar to those found in other OCD samples. There was no significant difference in the overall severity of obsessions and compulsions between patients with and without religious obsessions. RPI scores did not differ significantly between groups. We failed to find a relationship between RPI scores or religious obsessions and any particular type of obsession or compulsion. A logistic regression analysis revealed that the sole predictor of the presence of religious obsessions was a higher number of types of obsessions. In conclusion, we failed to find a conclusive relationship between religiosity and any other clinical feature of OCD, including the presence of religious obsessions. On the other hand, we showed that the patients who tend to have a variety of obsessions are more likely also to have religious obsessions. Thus, religion appears to be one more arena where OCD expresses itself, rather than being a determinant of the disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Although obsessive-compulsive disorder commonly occurs in many patients with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, little is known about the obsessions and compulsions of Tourette's syndrome and whether they differ from those seen in pure obsessive-compulsive disorder. The authors prospectively studied 10 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 15 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and comorbid Tourette's syndrome by using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Leyton Obsessional Inventory, and a new questionnaire designed to emphasize the differences in symptoms between these two groups. RESULTS: Subjects with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome had significantly more violent, sexual, and symmetrical obsessions and more touching, blinking, counting, and self-damaging compulsions. The group with obsessive-compulsive disorder alone had more obsessions concerning dirt or germs and more cleaning compulsions. The subjects who had both disorders reported that their compulsions arose spontaneously, whereas the subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder alone reported that their compulsions were frequently preceded by cognitions. CONCLUSIONS: There are phenomenologic differences between obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder with comorbid Tourette's syndrome that may reflect differential involvement of neurochemical and neuroanatomic pathways.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Feasibility and effectiveness of the Bergen 4-Day Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in Australia: A pilot comparison with 3-week inpatient obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating and chronic condition that, when untreated or unresponsive to treatment, imposes a significant health and economic burden on individuals and families. This prospective non-randomised inpatient study compared the acceptability and clinical outcomes of the Bergen 4-Day Treatment programme with those of a standard 3-week specialised treatment programme for obsessive-compulsive disorder in Australia. METHOD: Twenty-five participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder were non-randomly assigned to Bergen 4-Day Treatment (n = 12) or a 3-week standard (n = 13) inpatient programme. Independent assessments were completed at pre-treatment, 10 days post treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was rated to assess obsessive-compulsive disorder severity, while secondary measures of depression, anxiety, obsessive beliefs and wellbeing were self-rated by participants. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable, with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom severity within the moderate to severe range. After treatment, obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms as well as secondary depression and anxiety symptoms were reduced in both treatment groups. Participants receiving Bergen 4-Day Treatment had significantly lower Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores at 10 days (M = 13.46) and 3 months (M = 11.84), compared to standard treatment (M = 19.04 and M = 19.15, respectively). Response (91.9%) and remission (45.8%) rates for the Bergen 4-Day Treatment group were significantly higher at both post-treatment timepoints, compared to the standard treatment group. No dropouts occurred in the Bergen 4-Day Treatment group, and participant satisfaction was high. CONCLUSION: The findings of this pilot open-label study suggest that Bergen 4-Day Treatment shows promise as an acceptable, efficient and effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, warranting further investigation as a scalable alternative for improving access to specialised obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment in Australia.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

[Obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. An attempt at psychopathologic differentiation by focusing on the single phenomenon of obsession].

This paper follows the hypothesis that differentiation between obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia is possible only by focusing on the single phenomenon of obsession. The declaration of a nosological specificity of obsession is set against the current view of ICD-10 and DSM-IV, of obsession as a ubiquitous nonspecific phenomenon appearing with comorbidities. The historic development of these two most different views of obsession and their combination is explained. The distinction between obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia can be made at the psychopathologic dividing line between obsession and delusional thoughts. Examination of the literature on the transition from obsessive compulsive disorder into schizophrenia shows that there is no clear link between obsession and schizophrenia.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed1998

The influence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis patients' premorbid personality on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and efficacy of medication.

We conducted a survey with the Lynfield obsessive-compulsive symptom questionnaire (revised version) on 48 obsessive-compulsive neurotic patients as the survey subjects. In the factor analysis five factors of obsessions, were identified: (i) the desire for perfection; (ii) compulsive checking; (iii) washing; (iv) feelings of uncleanliness; and (v) anthropophobia. High correlations were noted between these factors. We also investigated the premorbid personalities of obsessive-compulsive neurotic patients with a multidimensional personality scale and obtained an extroversion dimension and neuroticism dimension. The influence of these premorbid personality dimensions on obsessive-compulsive symptoms became clear; (i) neuroticism is related to the levels of obsession after onset, but not related to compulsive behaviors; and (ii) No differences in premorbid personality dimensions were noted between compulsive checking and compulsive washing behaviors. We also studied whether it was possible to predict the efficacy of pharmacotherapy upon obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It was elucidated that the obsessions of those whose premorbid personalities are emotionally stable and extroversive are susceptible to antidepressants. Based on these results, we discussed the usefulness of premorbid personalities in predicting diversity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as in prediction the efficacy of medication.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The prevailing view is that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are able to think rationally about their obsessive concerns and are thus able to recognize them as senseless. However, clinical observations indicate that at least some obsessive-compulsives do not regard their symptoms as unreasonable or excessive, and their ideas have been characterized as overvalued or delusional. In the present paper the concepts of obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions are discussed and compared, and the available studies of insight among obsessive-compulsives are reviewed. It is concluded that obsessive-compulsive ideas can not satisfactorily be dichotomized according to patients' insight, and that the notion of a continuum of strength of obsessive-compulsive beliefs is more appropriate. The relationship between degree of obsessive-compulsive conviction and outcome of therapy remains unclear. Methodological issues that complicate our understanding of OCD are considered, and theories of delusions are examined in relation to their development in OCD.

Attention↗

PubMed1996

A controlled positron emission tomography study of obsessive and neutral auditory stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder with checking rituals.

Ten nondepressed patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were characterized by predominant checking rituals were compared with 10 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Hemispheric and regional cerebral blood flow levels (rCBF) were measured with positron emission tomography (H2 15O) across four conditions: rest, auditory stimulation with idiosyncratic normal or abnormal obsession, auditory stimulation with neutral verbal stimuli, and rest. Order of neutral and obsessive stimulation was randomized. Higher subjective responses to obsessive than to neutral stimulation were found in both groups; subjective response was higher in OCD patients when obsessive stimulation was presented first. A four-way analysis of variance (group x stimulation order x hemisphere x condition [neutral or obsessive stimulation]) was performed on stimulation minus rest normalized rCBF values. Control subjects had significantly higher rCBF in the thalamus and putamen. A trend toward higher rCBF in OCD patients was found in the superior temporal regions. When neutral stimulation was presented first, rCBF was significantly higher in the caudate region of control subjects. Obsessive stimulation was associated with higher rCBF than neutral stimulation in orbitofrontal regions in both groups of subjects. Under obsessive stimulation, superior temporal and orbitofrontal activities were correlated in OCD patients but not in control subjects. Our study suggests specific abnormalities of information processing in the basal ganglia and temporal structures of compulsive checkers.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Characteristics of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Parkinson's disease.

A high incidence of obsessions and compulsions is documented in basal ganglia disorders, especially in patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS). A comparison of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), TS, and Parkinson's disease (PD) revealed significantly higher total scores in both OCD and TS patients than in a healthy control group on the Maudsley obsessive-compulsive inventory (MOCI) and the Hamburg obsessive-compulsive inventory (HZI-K), two self-report measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. On most subscales (especially Checking, Ordering, and Counting/touching), TS patients scored higher than controls. Patients with Parkinson's disease merely scored higher on the subscale 'Ordering' of the HZI-K. Differences between OCD patients and TS patients were evident on the MOCI subscales 'Checking' and 'Slowness/Repetition' as well as on the MOCI total score and on the HZI subscales 'Cleaning' and 'Obsessive Thoughts'. On these scales, TS patients reported fewer symptoms than OCD patients. Stepwise discriminant analysis with preselected single items as variables was used to look for specific symptom patterns of OCD and TS. Seventy-eight percent of the patients could be correctly classified with respect to their diagnoses on the basis of only two items of the HZI-K. One item asks for fearful obsessive thoughts, which was found in 90% of the OCD patients; the second item represented echo phenomena, found in 56% of the TS patients. It is concluded that considering specific patterns of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology may contribute to a more reliable differential diagnosis in OCD and TS and help to avoid misdiagnosis of OCD in TS patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Revision of the Padua Inventory of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms: distinctions between worry, obsessions, and compulsions.

The Padua Inventory (PI), a self-report measure of obsessive and compulsive symptoms, is increasingly used in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) research. Freeston, Ladouceur, Rheaume, Letarte, Gagnon and Thibodeau (1994) [Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 29-36], however, recently showed that the PI measures worry in addition to obsessions. In an attempt to solve this measurement problem, this study used a content distinction between obsessions and worry to revise the PI. The revision was constructed to measure five content dimensions relevant to OCD i.e. (1) obsessional thoughts about harm to oneself or others; (2) obsessional impulses to harm oneself or others; (3) contamination obsessions and washing compulsions; (4) checking compulsions; and (5) dressing/grooming compulsions. A total of 5010 individuals participated in the study, 2970 individuals completing the PI and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and an additional 2040 individuals completing only the PI. The results provided support for the reliability and validity of the revision. In addition, the revision of the PI was more independent of worry, as measured by the PSWQ, than the original PI. Support was thus found for the validity of the content distinction between obsessions and worry. The importance of this content distinction is also discussed for the evaluation of other hypothesized distinctions between obsessions and worry.

Adult↗

PubMed1980

[Phenomenology of obsessions and compulsions. Experimental diagnosis of obsessive compulsive neurosis. I (author's transl)].

Obsessive-compulsive phenomena occur in 'normal,' neurotic and psychotic individuals. Operational definition, quantitative assessment, and diagnostic evaluation are still unsatisfactory, particularly with regard to differentiation of obsessive-compulsive phenomena (phenomenology), differentiation of trait and symptom factors, and evaluation of different obsessive-compulsive factors in the various kinds of neuroses. Our investigation of phenomenology differs from previous similar ones in basically two aspects: The newly developed obsessive-compulsive checklist covers the whole range of obsessions and compulsions, and questionnaire items of the checklist are operationally difined without reference to constructs from theories of personality or from psychopathology. Results include: Two-thirds of all patients suffer from combined obsessions and compulsions; factorial analysis reveals five symptom factors which are quite different from factor analytic results of previous studies; depression and phobias constitute a factor by themselves; checklist ratings and factor analytic results show the necessity for and basis of a new self-rating questionnaire to substitute for those currently in use. Implications of these results for future research in psychopathology as well as treatment evaluation are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Do patients suffering from obsessions alone differ from other obsessive-compulsives?

The aim of this study was to determine whether a group of 48 patients with obsessions and compulsions differed from a group of 26 patients with obsessions alone, on the basis of demographic variables, variables relating to obsessive-compulsive neurosis, psychological variables and treatment outcome. It was found that they differed significantly in the following areas: marital status, level of education, age at onset of complaints, psychoactive medication taken when admitted for treatment, severity of obsessive-compulsive complaints, depression and intelligence. No difference was found as far as treatment outcome was concerned. Patients suffering from obsessions alone, would appear to form a distinct sub-group within the group of obsessive-compulsive patients as a whole.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Is there an obsessive psychosis? Aetiological and prognostic factors of an atypical form of obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

The study explores whether an atypical form of obsessional illness can be delineated and separated from the conventional form of obsessive-compulsive neurosis (OCN). From a group of 45 obsessive patients, 8 were selected on the basis of 3 criteria: presence of a severely debilitating main obsessive symptom; bordering on the delusional; no schizophrenic symptoms. Assessment and outcome measures included the Psychiatric Questionnaire, the Leyton Obsessional Inventory, Fear Survey Schedule, and IPAT Self-Analysis Form. Self-assessment forms allowed patients to make social adjustment and neurotic symptom ratings. In a multimodal approach, patients were assigned to behavioural and pharmacological treatments on the basis of severity. Reassessment took place after 50 sessions of therapy. Results of analysis of variance statistics indicated that the atypical group had a more malignant form of illness, with more varied and severe obsessions. A poorer prognosis for the atypical group was indicated by: greater social maladjustment, poor employment records, illness of longer duration showing no remissions despite more courses of treatment, and poor response to treatment throughout. The atypical group manifested fewer characteristic features of OCN (example: fewer precipitating events). On the other hand, schizophrenia was not imputed, although delusion-like experiences in the atypical group suggest a psychotic form of illness. The term "obsessive psychosis" suggested by Strauss and recently investigated by Weiss et al and Robinson et al is proposed for our atypical group. Results are compared with those of other investigators. It is concluded that the delineation of a subgroup of obsessional illness is desirable for research and therapy since a form of atypical obsessional illness or obsessive psychosis can be differentiated on aetiological, phenomenological and prognostic factors.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Clinical features distinguishing patients with Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder from patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder without tics.

OBJECTIVE: It is not clear whether obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the context of Tourette's syndrome (TS) is the same as that disorder found in patients with OCD alone. This study evaluated the severity and characteristics of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adult patients with OCD and TS compared to adult patients with OCD alone. METHOD: Thirteen subjects with both DSM-III-R TS and OCD and 13 subjects with OCD alone were recruited. Obsessive-compulsive severity was determined by using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. The Tourette Syndrome Association Unified Tic Rating Scale was administered to determine tic severity, and the adult version of the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Checklist was used to detect a history of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). RESULTS: Subjects with OCD alone had very few obsessions and compulsions that were not also experienced by subjects with both TS and OCD. In contrast, subjects with TS and OCD were significantly more likely to report obsessions involving nonviolent images, excessive concern with appearance, and need for symmetry. Touching, blinking or staring, and counting compulsions were also significantly more common in this group. Eight subjects with OCD and TS had a childhood history of ADHD, compared to none of the pure OCD subjects. CONCLUSION: There are subtle but definite differences in symptomatology of subjects with pure OCD compared to those with OCD and TS consistent with putative differences in pathophysiology between the 2 groups, i.e., abnormalities in the serotonergic system in OCD patients and serotonergic and dopaminergic abnormalities in those with OCD and TS. These observations may be consistent with genetic heterogeneity within both OCD and TS.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Obsessive compulsive disorder in huntington disease: a case of isolated obsessions successfully treated with sertraline.

OBJECTIVE: To report about a patient with Huntington disease (HD) in combination with obsessions who was successfully treated with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. BACKGROUND: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has rarely been reported in association with HD, and little is known about the treatment of patients with OCD symptoms and HD. METHODS: We describe a 42-year-old woman who experienced isolated obsessive thoughts about killing her neighbor 10 years after the onset of her genetically confirmed HD. RESULTS: Sertraline was prescribed at a daily dose of 150 mg with a complete remission of obsessive ideas within 4 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The basal ganglia are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of OCD and HD. Thus, it is conceivable that a degeneration of the caudate nucleus as in HD may also account for obsessive and compulsive symptoms in this disorder. To our knowledge, this is the first report about a patient with HD in combination with obsessions alone who was successfully treated with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, the association of OCD with HD warrants further systematic evaluation.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Relationship of obsessive-compulsive personality to obsessive-compulsive disorder: a review of the literature.

The nature of the relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder has been the subject of considerable debate. The present article dealt with clinical opinion and reviewed empirical data bearing on this issue. It was concluded that, although the two clinical entities bear a surface similarity in terms of shared behavioral features and defenses, obsessive-compulsive personality is neither a necessary nor sufficient factor in the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder, though the latter appears to be more frequently associated with premorbid obsessive-compulsive personality patterns than with other personality patterns. Suggestions for future research study are made.

Compulsive Personality Disorder↗

PubMed2000

Obsessive-compulsive aspects of craving: development of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale.

"Craving" for alcohol needs improved definition and measurement. This review provides a rationale for considering at least certain aspects of craving as having obsessive and compulsive features. As such, there may be phenomenological, but not necessarily etiological, overlap with obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are increasing data that suggest a neuroanatomical overlap between addiction/craving and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The self-rated Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for heavy drinking interview (YBOCS-hd), was developed to assist in the examination of certain aspects of "craving" in alcoholics. The development, reliability, face validity, congruent validity and predictive validity of the OCDS are presented and discussed in this paper. The utility of the OCDS as a measurement tool in cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological alcoholism treatment research is highlighted. The potential of this instrument as a research and clinical tool for the understanding and evaluation of alcohol dependence needs further evaluation.

Behavior, Addictive↗