ABSTRACT
Mental contamination in people with OCD has been linked to the perceived impact of being betrayed and betraying others. In this study, participants with OCD (N = 56) and community controls (N = 37) were randomised to an induction involving eliciting autobiographical memories of either being betrayed by someone they trusted or betraying someone that trusted them. The OCD group experienced greater increases in state mental contamination and anxiety than the control group, but no differences were observed between groups in urges to wash or drink. Both betrayal conditions elicited similar levels of mental contamination and anxiety. The results of this study suggest that people with OCD experience similar increases in mental contamination and anxiety not only when recalling memories of being a victim of betrayal but also when recalling being a perpetrator. People with OCD are therefore more sensitive to betrayal experiences than community controls. Clinical implications and implications for future research are discussed.
Subject(s)
Memory, Episodic , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder , Humans , Betrayal , Anxiety , Anxiety DisordersABSTRACT
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a debilitating condition that affects 0.2-0.4% of the population. Health focussed anxiety is common across medical conditions, and may be relevant in CFS/ME. This study sought to identify the prevalence and impact of health anxiety (HA) in CFS/ME and evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for HA in CFS/ME. Cross-sectional questionnaire methods and case-series design were used to achieve study aims. Analysis indicated that 41.9% of the CFS/ME clinic sample experienced threshold levels of health anxiety, which was associated with elevated symptom severity across several dimensions. Stepwise multiple regression indicated physical functioning and depression accounted for 23.8% of variance in fatigue; depression, fatigue and HA, accounted for 32.9% of variance in physical functioning. Large effect sizes and clinically significant changes were generated in the treatment study. HA is common in CFS/ME and likely to exacerbate fatigue and physical functioning. This study identifies HA as an important target for treatment, trial findings should be further replicated on a larger scale.
El Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica/Encefalomielitis Miálgica (SFC/EM) es una enfermedad que afecta al 0,2-0.4% de la población. La ansiedad por la salud (AS) es común en condiciones médicas y puede ser relevante en el SFC/EM. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar la prevalencia e impacto de la AS en el SFC/EM y evaluar la efectividad de la terapia cognitivo conductual para tratar la AS en el SFC/EM. Se utilizaron cuestionarios en base a un diseño transversal y de estudio de casos. El 41.9% de la muestra clínica de SFC/EM experimentó niveles umbrales de HA, lo que se asoció a una mayor gravedad de algunos síntomas. Modelos de regresión lineal múltiple indicaron que el funcionamiento físico y la depresión representaron el 23.8% de la varianza en la fatiga; la depresión, la fatiga y la AS representaron el 32.9% de la varianza en el funcionamiento físico. Se identificaron grandes tamaños de efecto y cambios clínicamente significativos por el tratamiento. Lla AS es común en el SFC/EM y podría empeorar la fatiga y el funcionamiento físico. Este estudio identifica la HA como factor importante para el tratamiento del SFC/ME. Los resultados deberían replicarse a mayor escala.
