scholarly journals Wiping your conscience clean

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 204380871878659
Author(s):  
Mahreen Khan ◽  
Jessica R. Grisham
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Emotion Induction ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination ◽  
Compensatory Behaviors ◽  
Induction Condition

The Macbeth effect is a proposed phenomenon, whereby feelings of immorality activate a desire to cleanse. Extensions of this theory suggest that cleansing alleviates immoral feelings, thus reducing the urge to engage in compensatory behaviors, such as volunteering. We examined the Macbeth effect and volunteerism in undergraduate students with high levels of obsessive-compulsive disorder contamination concerns ( n = 164). Participants underwent an immorality, anxiety, or neutral emotion-induction condition and subsequently cleansed their hands or performed a control task. For participants in the immorality condition, increased ratings of distress were associated with increased accessibility of cleansing words. Furthermore, individuals in the immorality condition who cleansed volunteered for significantly less time than those who did not cleanse. We discuss findings in relation to the literature on the Macbeth effect and mental contamination.

Sensitivity to being betrayed and betraying others in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Louise Howkins ◽  
Josie Frances Adeline Millar ◽  
Paul M. Salkovskis
Keyword(s):  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
National Health ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract:Objectives Mental contamination (MC) describes subjective internal feelings of ‘dirtiness’ which are experienced in the absence of direct physical contact/contaminants. There isevidence of a link between MC in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the experience of past betrayals. However, it has also been noted that “perpetrators” also experience MC. We aimed to replicate the previous finding of specificity of OCD for sensitivity to being betrayed, and to extend this by evaluating whether people with high MC OCD are also relatively more sensitive to the idea that they might betray others compared to those with low levels of MC OCD.Design A cross-sectional, between-groups design was used.Method Four groups, high MC OCD (N= 60), low MC OCD (N=61), depression (N=28) andnon-clinical controls (N=46) completed online questionnaires. Participants were recruitedthrough the National Health Service (NHS) and social media.Results Relative to all groups, the high MC OCD group had significantly higher scores both for betrayal sensitivity and sensitivity to betraying others. The depression group showed similar levels to low MC OCD in betrayal sensitivity but were significantly lower (and comparable to non-clinical controls) in sensitivity to betraying others.Conclusions Betrayal sensitivity occurs trans-diagnostically. There may be a specific linkbetween the development of OCD and the perception of betraying others, perhaps linked to the trauma of being betrayed making those so affected more likely to worry about their own responsibility for betraying others.

It's the Feeling Inside My Head: A Qualitative Analysis of Mental Contamination in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Coughtrey ◽  
Roz Shafran ◽  
Michelle Lee ◽  
Stanley J. Rachman
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Symptom Presentation ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Contamination Fear ◽  
Mental Contamination

Background: It was recently proposed that feelings of dirtiness and pollution can arise in the absence of physical contact with a contaminant. At present, there is limited data regarding the qualitative features of this construct of “mental contamination”, although it is hypothesized to be particularly relevant to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), where compulsive washing in response to contamination fear is a common symptom presentation (Rachman, 2006). Aims and method: The aim of this research was to explore the qualitative features of mental contamination in 20 people with contamination-based OCD, using a semi-structured interview. Results: All participants reported times when they had felt dirty or contaminated in the absence of physical contact with a dirty or dangerous object. Mental contamination generated diffuse feelings of internal dirtiness not localized to the hands, which evoked urges to wash (100% participants), neutralize (80% participants) and avoid (85% participants). Conclusions: In support of the theory outlined by Rachman (2006), mental contamination was found to take a number of forms, be primarily associated with a human source, generate internal dirtiness and cause emotional distress and urge to wash. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed and ideas for future research are proposed.

Beyond the fundamentals

2017 ◽  
pp. 144-220
Author(s):  
Victoria Bream ◽  
Fiona Challacombe ◽  
Asmita Palmer ◽  
Paul Salkovskis
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Detailed Consideration ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Standard Treatment Group

This chapter provides guidance on some of the issues of complexity, using a number of examples, including case illustrations of mental contamination, post-traumatic stress disorder, and perfectionism. There is a detailed consideration of incorporating compassionate mind work on shame. As obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a great impact on others around the individual, we focus on working with the involvement of family members in symptoms. The chapter also covers adaptations of standard treatment (group and intensive treatment). We consider how to make best use of supervision, including a detailed discussion of OCD-specific competences and metacompetences, as part of continued development as a therapist. There is an outline for how we might prevent OCD in the future, including disseminating understanding of OCD.

Comorbidity, Parental Psychopathology, and Accommodation in the Treatment of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie J. Wadkins ◽  
Elizabeth Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Parental Psychopathology ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination ◽  
Comorbid Diagnosis ◽  
Complicating Factors

This article discusses the treatment of a young person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized primarily by symptoms of physical and mental contamination, as well as religious obsessions. The treatment was complicated by several factors that will be reviewed and addressed. First, this client had a comorbid diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Second, the young client's mother was also diagnosed with OCD and had a significantly anxious presentation. This impacted treatment in two primary ways. One important way treatment was complicated was that the client frequently attempted to manage her mother's emotions by underreporting her own distress at times. The other implication of the mother's diagnosis was that it became difficult to involve her in the treatment of her daughter and reduce her accommodation of her daughter's symptoms. The manner in which these complicating factors were addressed in the successful treatment of this client by adapting evidence-based practice will be presented as a guide for clinicians facing similar challenges.

scholarly journals Mental contamination in obsessive–compulsive disorder

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Coughtrey ◽  
Roz Shafran ◽  
Debbie Knibbs ◽  
S. Jack Rachman
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination

scholarly journals Longitudinal alterations in fronto-striatal glutamate are associated with functioning during inhibitory control in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viola Hollestein ◽  
Jan K. Buitelaar ◽  
Daniel Brandeis ◽  
Tobias Banaschewski ◽  
Anna Kaiser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Over Time

AbstractBackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping symptomatology. Both show deficits in inhibitory control, which are associated with altered functioning and glutamate concentrations in the fronto-striatal circuitry. These parameters have never been examined together. Here we, for the first time, used a multi-center, longitudinal approach to investigate fronto-striatal functioning during an inhibitory control task and its association with fronto-striatal glutamate concentrations across these two disorders.Methods74 adolescents with ASD (24) or OCD (15) and controls (35) aged 8-17 were recruited across three sites of the European TACTICS consortium. They underwent two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions with a one-year interval. This included proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS; n=74) and functional MRI during an inhibitory control task (n=57). We used linear mixed effects models to investigate, over time, the relationship between fronto-striatal functioning and glutamate concentrations across these groups and continuous measures of overlapping compulsivity symptoms.ResultsDuring failed inhibitory control, in OCD increased striatal glutamate was associated with increased neural activation of ACC, an effect that decreased over time. During successful inhibitory control, higher ACC glutamate was positively associated with striatal activation in OCD and compulsivity across time. ACC glutamate levels decreased over time in the ASD group compared to controls, while striatal glutamate decreased over time, independent of diagnosis.ConclusionsSignificant differences in fronto-striatal glutamate were observed in ASD and OCD, affecting functional activity during failed- and successful inhibitory control differently, especially in OCD, with effects changing over time.

scholarly journals Social network sites and obsessive-compulsive disorder: An investigation with suppression analyses

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soon Li Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
The Relationship

This research examined the relationship between social network site (SNS) intensity, SNS addiction, and the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), alongside its factors of obsession and compulsion. The overlap of SNS intensity and SNS addiction was controlled in the study to predict the measured severity of OCD. In this study, 204 Malaysian undergraduate students were recruited to complete the revised Facebook Intensity Scale, the revised Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, and the self-report version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The overlap of SNS intensity and SNS addiction was supported by their significant positive correlation. Furthermore, SNS addiction significantly correlated with the measured OCD and its corresponding factors. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the entry of SNS intensity enhanced the facilitative effect of SNS addiction on OCD and its factors. Therefore, the role of SNS intensity as a suppressor was supported. In the same regression model, SNS intensity predicted the severity of OCD and its compulsion subscale negatively. Implications and directions for future research were also discussed in this manuscript.

Mental Contamination in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Associations With Contamination Symptoms and Treatment Response

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany M. Mathes ◽  
Katherine A. McDermott ◽  
Sarah A. Okey ◽  
Ana Vazquez ◽  
Ashleigh M. Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Response ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination

Imagery in Mental Contamination

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Coughtrey ◽  
Roz Shafran ◽  
S.J. Rachman
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Contamination ◽  
Intrusive Imagery

Background: Intrusive imagery is experienced in a number of anxiety disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Imagery is particularly relevant to mental contamination, where unwanted intrusive images are hypothesized to evoke feelings of dirtiness and urges to wash (Rachman, 2006). Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the nature of imagery associated with mental contamination. Method: Fifteen people with contaminated-based OCD completed a semi-structured imagery interview designed specifically for this study. Results: Ten participants reported images associated with contamination. These images were vivid and distressing and evoked feelings of dirtiness. Participants engaged in a number of behaviours to neutralize their images, including compulsive washing. A small number of participants also reported images that protected them from contamination. Conclusions: In support of the theory of mental contamination (Rachman, 2006), images can lead to feelings of pollution and compulsive washing. Further research is needed to explore the role of imagery in maintaining contamination fears.

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