The Relationship between Compulsions, Worry, and Academic Performance among United Arab Emirates University Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdalla A. M. Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Negative Appraisal ◽  
United Arab Emirates University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Worry

<p>The cognitive approaches of obsessive-compulsive disorder consider negative appraisal of beliefs and thoughts to be the core factor for the onset of this disorder. The present study was aimed at investigating the relationship between compulsions and worries (anxious thoughts), and between compulsions and academic performance in a sample of 461 university students aged between 18 and 30 years (mean age=21.2 years). Male participants represented 31.2% of the total sample while female participants represented 68.8% of the sample. The Anxious Thoughts Inventory and the Compulsion Checklist were administered. Results showed that worries were positively related to compulsions. Meta-worry was the strongest predictor of compulsions. First-degree relatives of individuals with history of obsessive-compulsive symptoms significantly reported more symptoms of compulsions compared to their counterparts. Academic performance (GPA) was not related to compulsion but it was related to worry. Further, older participants expressed less social worry and less compulsive symptoms compared to younger ones. The results were discussed in relation to relevant theoretical framework and in light of findings of previous studies. This study will provide researchers, practitioners and readers with an understanding of the relationship between worry, academic performance and compulsions in this part of the world.</p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong>: Compulsions, Meta-worry, Social Worry, Health Worry, Academic Performance

The Price of Love: An Investigation into the Relationship between Romantic Love and the Expression of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
James McLauchlan ◽  
Emma M. Thompson ◽  
Ygor A. Ferrão ◽  
Euripedes C. Miguel ◽  
Lucy Albertella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Romantic Love ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
The Relationship

Disentangling Doubt and Checking Behaviors and Examining Their Association With Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms

2021 ◽  
pp. 216770262199386
Author(s):  
Asher Y. Strauss ◽  
Isaac Fradkin ◽  
Jonathan D. Huppert
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Tracking ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Null Results ◽  
Unobtrusive Measure ◽  
Compulsive Checking ◽  
Tone Discrimination ◽  
Neutral Conditions ◽  
The Relationship

Experiencing doubt in an uncertain situation has been theorized to be an antecedent of compulsive checking. However, whether and when obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms are associated with experiencing doubt and increased checking is unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between OC symptoms, the experience of doubt, and checking in a tone-discrimination task. Doubt was measured using mouse tracking, an indirect, unobtrusive measure. The results of two studies ( N = 119) showed that OC symptoms were associated with elevated experiences of doubt when uncertainty was low. However, OC symptoms were not associated with increased checking, but doubt was. Results highlight the utility of mouse-tracking measures to capture the tendency of individuals with OC symptoms to experience doubt even under neutral conditions. The unexpected null results concerning checking suggest some specific directions for research to determine the conditions under which doubt evolves into checking in obsessive compulsive disorder.

scholarly journals The Mediating Role of Engagement on the Achievement and Quality of Life of University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6586
Author(s):  
Inmaculada García-Martínez ◽  
José María Augusto Landa ◽  
Samuel P. León
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Mediational Role ◽  
The Relationship

(1) Background: Academic engagement has been reported in the literature as an important factor in the academic achievement of university students. Other factors such as emotional intelligence (EI) and resilience have also been related to students’ performance and quality of life. The present study has two clearly delimited and interrelated objectives. First, to study the mediational role that engagement plays in the relationship between EI and resilience on quality of life. Secondly, and similarly, to study the mediational role of engagement in the relationship between EI and resilience, but in this case on academic achievement. (2) Methods: For this purpose, four scales frequently used in the literature to measure emotional intelligence, resilience, academic engagement and quality of life were administered to 427 students of the University of Jaén undertaking education degrees. In addition, students were asked to indicate their current average mark as a measure of academic performance. Two mediational models based on structural equations were proposed to analyse the relationships between the proposed variables. (3) Results: The results obtained showed that emotional intelligence and resilience directly predicted students’ life satisfaction, but this direct relationship did not result in academic performance. In addition, and assuming a finding not found so far, engagement was shown to exert an indirect mediational role for both life satisfaction and academic performance of students. (4) Conclusions: The findings of the study support the importance of engagement in the design and development of instructional processes, as well as in the implementation of any initiative.

scholarly journals The Mediating Role of Alexithymia in the Relationship of Coping Strategies and Personality Traits With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-81
Author(s):  
Masoud Bagheri ◽  
◽  
Kazem Nematollah Zadeh Mahani ◽  
Maryam Pour Amrollahi ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship

Aims: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the severe psychological health problems imposing considerable social and economic costs on society. OCD debilitating symptoms can disrupt interpersonal relations, job performance, and life quality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between coping strategies and personality traits with OCD. Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive correlational study. The study population consists of all people with OCD referred to psychiatric clinics in Kerman City, Iran, during 2018-2019. Of this population, 200 patients were selected using a convenience sampling method. Research instruments included the ways of coping questionnaire, NEO five-factor personality inventory, Toronto alexithymia scale, and Maudsley obsessive-compulsive test. The obtained data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test and simultaneous and hierarchical regression in SPSS v. 23. Findings: Personality traits had a negative significant correlation with alexithymia (r=0.523, P<0.000) and OCD (r=0.253, P<0.000). Alexithymia had a significant positive correlation with OCD (r=0.272, P<0.000). There was no correlation between problem-focused coping and alexithymia (r=-0.045, P<0.531). There was a positive correlation between emotion-focused coping and OCD (r=0.198, P<0.000). The fit indices indicated a good fit of the proposed model (P<0.005). Conclusion: Alexithymia, as a mediator of the relationship between coping styles and personality traits with OCD, plays an essential role in improving the psychological health of people with OCD.

scholarly journals Brain Activation of Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder During a Mental Rotation Task: A Functional MRI Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanghoon Oh ◽  
Wi Hoon Jung ◽  
Taekwan Kim ◽  
Geumsook Shim ◽  
Jun Soo Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
The Relationship

Functional neuroimaging studies have implicated alterations in frontostriatal and frontoparietal circuits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during various tasks. To date, however, brain activation for visuospatial function in conjunction with symptoms in OCD has not been comprehensively evaluated. To elucidate the relationship between neural activity, cognitive function, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, we investigated regional brain activation during the performance of a visuospatial task in patients with OCD using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Seventeen medication-free patients with OCD and 21 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched healthy controls participated in this study. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained while the subjects performed a mental rotation (MR) task. Brain activation during the task was compared between the two groups using a two-sample t-test. Voxel-wise whole-brain multiple regression analyses were also performed to examine the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and neural activity during the task. The two groups did not differ in MR task performance. Both groups also showed similar task-related activation patterns in frontoparietal regions with no significant differences. Activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with OCD during the MR task was positively associated with their total Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores. This study identified the specific brain areas associated with the interaction between symptom severity and visuospatial cognitive function during an MR task in medication-free patients with OCD. These findings may serve as potential neuromodulation targets for OCD treatment.

Correlational research on facial and clinical characteristics of adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanrong Wang ◽  
Shaohua Chang ◽  
Xiaomin Ma ◽  
Jiying Li ◽  
Ruixia Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Lower Lip ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Correlational Research ◽  
Nasolabial Angle ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract We examined the relationship between facial morphological features and clinical characteristics of adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The enrolled study sample comprised 40 adolescents diagnosed with OCD using the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory Child Version (OCI-CV) and 38 healthy controls (HCs). Facial photos, 21 facial diameters, and nine facial angles were collected using image software. In males, lower lip red height was significantly lower in OCD patients than in HCs (P < 0.05); no significant differences were observed in other facial indicators (all P > 0.05). In females, the nasolabial angle was smaller in OCD patients than in HCs (P < 0.05); no significant differences were observed in other facial indicators (all P > 0.05). The difference in lower lip red height between the OCD group and HC group was positively correlated with mental neutralization symptoms (r = 0.401, P < 0.05). Our findings highlight the relationship between facial and clinical characteristics in OCD patients.

scholarly journals Obsessive–compulsive disorder: subclassification based on co-morbidity

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1491-1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Nestadt ◽  
C. Z. Di ◽  
M. A. Riddle ◽  
M. A. Grados ◽  
B. D. Greenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Separation Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
The Relationship

BackgroundObsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is probably an etiologically heterogeneous condition. Many patients manifest other psychiatric syndromes. This study investigated the relationship between OCD and co-morbid conditions to identify subtypes.MethodSeven hundred and six individuals with OCD were assessed in the OCD Collaborative Genetics Study (OCGS). Multi-level latent class analysis was conducted based on the presence of eight co-morbid psychiatric conditions [generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depression, panic disorder (PD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), tics, mania, somatization disorders (Som) and grooming disorders (GrD)]. The relationship of the derived classes to specific clinical characteristics was investigated.ResultsTwo and three classes of OCD syndromes emerge from the analyses. The two-class solution describes lesser and greater co-morbidity classes and the more descriptive three-class solution is characterized by: (1) an OCD simplex class, in which major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most frequent additional disorder; (2) an OCD co-morbid tic-related class, in which tics are prominent and affective syndromes are considerably rarer; and (3) an OCD co-morbid affective-related class in which PD and affective syndromes are highly represented. The OCD co-morbid tic-related class is predominantly male and characterized by high conscientiousness. The OCD co-morbid affective-related class is predominantly female, has a young age at onset, obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) features, high scores on the ‘taboo’ factor of OCD symptoms, and low conscientiousness.ConclusionsOCD can be classified into three classes based on co-morbidity. Membership within a class is differentially associated with other clinical characteristics. These classes, if replicated, should have important implications for research and clinical endeavors.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Mindfulness, Psychopathological Symptoms, and Academic Performance in University Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329411989990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Vorontsova-Wenger ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Valentin Ababkov ◽  
Koviljka Barisnikov
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Inner Experience ◽  
Psychopathological Symptoms ◽  
Mindfulness Skills ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Acting With Awareness

It has been shown that a mindfulness construct involving five component skills (observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience) is related to well-being and lessens depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. This study investigates the relationship between mindfulness, academic performance, and psychopathological symptoms in a sample of Swiss university students during preparation for examinations. A total sample of 150 university students from the psychology department at the University of Geneva were invited to report their mindfulness skills and academic performance, as well as anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, through self-report measures. Results indicated that the total mindfulness score and the nonreactivity facet of mindfulness were associated with depression scores. Furthermore, mindfulness skills were positively correlated with students’ academic performance. Finally, certain demographic variables, such as gender, were linked to the presence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in our sample. The clinical implications of these results are discussed.

The role of executive functions in academic performance and behaviour of university students

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-455
Author(s):  
Carlos Ramos-Galarza ◽  
Pamela Acosta-Rodas ◽  
Mónica Bolaños-Pasquel ◽  
Nancy Lepe-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Proportional Relationship ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is fourfold: first, to analyse the relationship between executive functions and academic performance; second, to identify the level of prediction executive functions have on academic performance; third, to determine the correlation between executive functions and academic performance; and fourth, to compare executive functions based on the level of academic performance. Design/methodology/approach The sample composed of 175 university students aged between 18 and 36 years (M=21.49, SD=3.22). The EFECO scale, the average student grade and a scale based on the diagnostic criteria for ADHD were used as measurement instruments. Findings Difficulties in executive functions: Difficulties in working memory (r=−0.30, p=<0.01) and difficulties in conscious supervision of behaviour (r=−0.29, p⩽0.01) have an inversely proportional relationship to academic performance (the greater the deficit of executive functions, the lower the academic performance). The regression analysis showed that executive functions explain 31 per cent of the variance of academic performance (χ2(25)=43.81, p <0.001). The study found that there is a relationship between all the executive functions and students’ behaviour in a medium to large magnitude. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study was the size of the sample as it is not representative of the country. Nevertheless, the correlation among the variables studied here has the necessary magnitude for the proposed correlations to be found. Nonetheless, it is necessary that we perform a study with a larger number of participants in order to achieve adequate extrapolation of the results. Practical implications Data found in this study suggest that low academic performance of university students is related to a lower functionality of their executive functions. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in relating specific concepts of neuropsychology to explain the academic performance of university students. The research findings allow us to project new studies to improve the executive functions for the benefit of the university student.

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