The Mediating Role of Misinterpretations and Neutralizing Responses to Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Population and Procedure
2.2. Instruments
2.3. Data Analyses
3. Results
3.1. Participant’s Characteristics and Preliminary Data
3.2. Associations Between the Frequency of the Most Upsetting UITs, Their Maladaptive Consequences, and Symptom Measures of OCD, BDD, and IAD
3.3. Mediating Role of Maladaptive Consequences on the Relationship Between the Frequency of the Most Disturbing UIT and Symptoms of OCD, BDD, and IAD
4. Discussion
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Country | n | Age M (SD) | Gender % Female |
---|---|---|---|
Spain | 92 | 28.3 (11.58) a | 71.7 a |
Israel | 78 | 40.35 (12.8) c | 50 b |
Turkey | 346 | 21.52 (4.52) b | 86.1 c |
Argentina | 109 | 39.36 (11.3) c | 84.4 ac |
Overall | 625 | 27.98 [11.75] | 79.2 |
Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
OCD-Related | BDD-Related | IAD-Related | Range | |
Frequency most disturbing | 3.34 (1.42) | 3.1 (1.42) | 2.42 (1.16) | 0–6 |
Emotional impact | 1.45 (1.08) | 1.58 (1.07) | 2.10 (1.19) | 0–4 |
Interference | 1.88 (1.24) | 1.43 (1.21) | 1.65 (1.32) | 0–4 |
Egodystonicity | 1.02 (1.35) | 0.94 (1.21) | 0.86 (1.24) | 0–4 |
Dysfunctional Appraisals | 1.41 (0.93) | 1.34 (1) | 1.47 (1.04) | 0–4 |
Thought Suppression | 1.84 (1.37) | 1.68 (1.32) | 1.88 (1.38) | 0–4 |
Overt/covert behaviors | 1.58 (1.43) | 1.39 (1.39) | 1.38 (1.37) | 0–4 |
Frequency of the Most Upsetting UIT | Symptom Self-Reports | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
OCI-R Total | BDDQ-Severity | Whiteley Index | ||
OCD-related | r | 0.439 ** | 0.162 | 0.136 ** |
n | 560 | 96 | 557 | |
BDD-related | r | 0.288 ** | 0.447 ** | 0.132 ** |
n | 465 | 82 | 463 | |
IAD-related | r | 0.248 ** | 0.296 * | 0.181 ** |
n | 443 | 73 | 441 |
SE | 95% CI | β | R2 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
OCD model (IV: Frequency of OCD-UIT; DV: OCI-R) | ||||
Frequency → Emotional impact | 0.0312 | [0.1279, 0.2506] | 0.2488 | 0.06 |
Frequency → Interference | 0.0346 | [0.2412, 0.3773] | 0.3540 | 0.12 |
Frequency → Dysfunctional appraisals | 0.0265 | [0.1568, 0.2610] | 0.3189 | 0.10 |
Frequency → Thought Suppression | 0.0408 | [0.0151, 0.1756] | 0.0988 | 0.00 |
Frequency → Overt/covert behaviors | 0.0419 | [0.1544, 0.3189] | 0.2350 | 0.05 |
Emotional impact → OCI-R | 0.51 | [0.1694, 2.173] | 0.1009 | |
Interference → OCI-R | 0.4192 | [0.6502, 2.297] | 0.1457 | |
Dysfunctional appraisals → OCI-R | 0.5993 | [2.068, 4.423] | 0.2408 | |
Overt/covert behaviors → OCI-R | 0.3246 | [0.7212, 1.996] | 0.1549 | |
Total direct effect | 0.3260 | [1.515, 2.796] | 0.2443 | |
BDD model (IV: Frequency of BDD-UIT; DV:BDDQ-Severity Scale) | ||||
Frequency → Emotional impact | 0.0943 | [0.1907, 0.5659] | 0.5020 | 0.16 |
Frequency → Interference | 0.1028 | [0.1976, 0.6067] | 0.4718 | 0.16 |
Frequency → Egodystonicity | 0.1148 | [0.2115, 0.6686] | 0.5163 | 0.15 |
Frequency → Dysfunctional appraisals | 0.0934 | [0.1741, 0.5461] | 0.5113 | 0.15 |
Total direct effect | 0.1465 | [0.1309, 0.7147] | 0.4056 | |
IAD model (IV: Frequency of IAD-UIT; DV: WI) | ||||
Frequency → Emotional impact | 0.0446 | [0.2306, 0.4060] | 0.3102 | 0.10 |
Frequency → Interference | 0.0513 | [0.2502, 0.4520] | 0.3085 | 0.09 |
Frequency → Egodystonicity | 0.0514 | [0.0505, 0.2526] | 0.1417 | 0.01 |
Frequency → Dysfunctional appraisals | 0.04 | [0.2146, 0.3719] | 0.3271 | 0.10 |
Frequency → Thought Suppression | 0.0552 | [0.0611, 0.2782] | 0.1426 | 0.02 |
Frequency → Overt/covert behaviors | 0.0550 | [0.1347, 0.3511] | 0.2056 | 0.04 |
Dysfunctional appraisals → WI | 0.2141 | [0.0736, 0.9151] | 0.1420 | |
Overt/covert behaviors → WI | 0.1451 | [0.1436, 0.7141] | 0.1622 | |
Total direct effect | 0.1496 | [0.0093, 0.5975] | 0.0972 |
Indirect Effects | Coefficients | SE | 95% CI | β |
---|---|---|---|---|
OCD model (IV: Frequency of OCD-UIT; DV: OCI-R) | ||||
Total effect | 0.4330 | |||
Total indirect effect | 1.665 | 0.2354 | [1.220, 2.144] | 0.1886 |
Emotional impact | 0.2217 | 0.1147 | [0.0095, 0.4611] | 0.0251 |
Interference | 0.4557 | 0.1379 | [0.1973, 0.7448] | 0.0516 |
Dysfunctional appraisals | 0.6780 | 0.1626 | [0.3878, 1.0258] | 0.0768 |
Overt/covert behaviors | 0.3216 | 0.1002 | [0.1456, 0.5344] | 0.0364 |
IAD model (IV: Frequency of IAD-UIT; DV: WI) | ||||
Total effect | 0.1724 | |||
Total indirect effect | 0.2349 | 0.0773 | [0.0988, 0.4022] | 0.0752 |
Dysfunctional appraisals | 0.1450 | 0.0674 | [0.0255, 0.2927] | 0.0464 |
Overt/covert behaviors | 0.1042 | 0.0461 | [0.0290, 0.2045] | 0.0333 |
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Pascual-Vera, B.; Doron, G.; Inozu, M.; García, F.; Belloch, A. The Mediating Role of Misinterpretations and Neutralizing Responses to Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15, 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15070135
Pascual-Vera B, Doron G, Inozu M, García F, Belloch A. The Mediating Role of Misinterpretations and Neutralizing Responses to Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education. 2025; 15(7):135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15070135
Chicago/Turabian StylePascual-Vera, Belén, Guy Doron, Mujgan Inozu, Fernando García, and Amparo Belloch. 2025. "The Mediating Role of Misinterpretations and Neutralizing Responses to Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders" European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education 15, no. 7: 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15070135
APA StylePascual-Vera, B., Doron, G., Inozu, M., García, F., & Belloch, A. (2025). The Mediating Role of Misinterpretations and Neutralizing Responses to Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(7), 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15070135