ABSTRACT
Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental disorder to treat. However, there are some deficiencies in research performed to date about the psychological and behavioral factors that may trigger obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Based on the Psychopathology of Self-Control Theory which states that deficits in self-control underpin psychiatric symptoms, this study investigated the factors influencing OCS among college students. Methods: A total of 5599 non-clinical Chinese college students were recruited to complete the Chinese version of the Self-Control Scale, Aitken Procrastination Inventory, and Symptom Checklist-90. Pearson's correlation analyses and the bootstrap method were performed to test our hypothesis. Results: The following results were obtained: (a) There were significant correlations among self-control, procrastination, anxiety, and OCS. (b) When controlling for the effects of age and sex, self-control remained a significant negative predictor of OCS. (c) The mediating roles of procrastination and anxiety, and the chain mediating role of procrastination and anxiety were the three predicted pathways linking self-control and OCS. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of self-control deficiencies in OCS. It provides new insights into the psychological and behavioral factors that increase the risk of OCS with important practical implications for early intervention in OCD.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the relationship between self-control and obsessive-compulsive symptoms(OCS), and the mediating role of procrastination and anxiety in this relation.Methods:Totally 6 367 Chinese college students were recruited to complete the Chinese version of the self-control scale, the Aitken procrastination inventory, and the symptom checklist-90.Descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation were carried out using SPSS 23.0.Mplus 7.4 was used to test the model fit.The mediating effects were tested using the Bootstrap method.Results:Pearson correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations among self-control, procrastination, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms ( r=-0.71-0.78, P<0.01). Mediation modeling analysis showed that the total indirect effect of self-control on OCS was -0.303, accounting for 63.13% of the total effect.The mediating effect of procrastination between self-control and OCS was -0.045, accounting for 9.38% of the total effect.The mediating effect of anxiety between self-control and OCS was -0.239, accounting for 49.79% of the total effect.Moreover, the chain mediating effect of procrastination and anxiety between self-control and OCS was also significant, with an effect value of -0.019, accounting for 3.96% of the total effect. Conclusion:Self-control can negatively predict OCS, procrastination and anxiety play a chain mediating role in the effect of self-control on OCS.
