Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Charles Negy. Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-107).

The aim of this thesis was to consider the role of appraisals of intrusive thoughts in the development of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. A narrative literature review explored the hypothesis that 'normal' intrusive thoughts lie on a continuum with clinical obsessions. The review discussed previous research on intrusive thoughts in nonclinical samples and drew comparisons with characteristics of clinical obsessions. An internet-based empirical investigation employed a randomised controlled trial design in order to test the effectiveness of an intervention based on normalising information in reducing problematic meta-cognitive beliefs. A large sample (N = 148) of young adults (aged 18-20 years) was screened in to the study based on high levels of problematic meta-cognitive beliefs. Participants completed questionnaire measures of meta-cognitive beliefs, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, reactions to intrusive thoughts and experiential avoidance. Participants completed an interactive quiz based on normalising information (experimental condition) or pet information (control condition). Significant reductions in problematic meta-cognitive beliefs and experiential avoidance were observed in both conditions, thus no additional benefit of normalising information was indicated. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the potential normalising effects of symptom monitoring. Overall this thesis supports the comparison of 'normal' intrusive thoughts and obsessions and suggests that negative appraisals, such as problematic metacognitive beliefs, may not be the only defining factor in the development of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

This thesis explores the role of guilt in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ways of coping with guilt-related thoughts in a clinical sample. The thesis is presented as three papers that include a review of the literature, an empirical research study and critical appraisal of the research process. In the first paper, the author provides a systematic review of 27 studies to determine whether an association exists between guilt and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Guilt remains an associated feature of PTSD; however, how these two constructs might be linked is not fully understood. Therefore the current review further evaluated the evidence for four competing models conceptualising the guilt-PTSD relationship. Overall, trauma-related guilt was positively related to PTSD symptomology even when controlling for depression. Guilt cognitions reflecting self-blame, perceived responsibility and wrongdoing were frequently associated with PTSD symptoms. Few studies found guilt was no longer related to PTSD symptomology when controlling for shame. Future studies ought to control for overlapping or confounding variables and further explore factors that may mediate the guilt-PTSD relationship such as coping. The second paper provided preliminary validation of a newly developed and unique measure of coping with guilty thoughts (GLAMS) in a clinical sample. A total of 67 participants from primary care services completed the GLAMS and measures of distress, guilt, coping and thought control. Eighteen completed the GLAMS and distress measure two weeks later. Overall the GLAMS evidenced moderate to high internal consistency and acceptable to good concurrent validity. Maladaptive subscales were found to be reliable over time. Higher self-punishment was related to greater guilt and distress and more mindful coping was related to a reduction in guilt supporting construct validity. Future research is required to test the stability of the GLAMS factor structure in a larger clinical sample. The GLAMS may have clinical utility in guiding psychological intervention towards more adaptive ways of coping with guilt. It may also provide a suitable outcome measure by monitoring the frequency in which clients engage in maladaptive ways of coping. The final paper provided a critical evaluation and reflection on the research process. Particular reference was made to the research rationale, methodological and ethical issues and considerations were given for future research and clinical practice. Conclusions drawn from this thesis are limited largely by the cross-sectional nature of most of the studies reviewed in paper 1 and insufficient numbers for the empirical study, which due to methodological and service-related constraints, limited further exploration of the data. Factor analysis and subsequent validation of the GLAMS in a larger sample is required to further support inferences drawn.

No description available.

No description available.

Thought-action fusion (TAF) is the phenomenon whereby one has difficulty separating cognitions, particularly those that are intrusive and disturbing, from their corresponding behaviors. Recent work has suggested that TAF is malleable and amenable to change. The current study examined the effects of three different psychoeducational interventions on thought-action fusion, anxiety, thought suppression, magical thinking, and responsibility cognitions. Assessments were conducted both immediately following the interventions and after a two-week period. Results indicated that individuals who received a cognitive-based intervention that targeted irrational thoughts had significantly lower TAF scores than individuals who received an intervention that discussed thoughts from a non-evaluative framework and individuals in the control group, both immediately following the intervention and at the two-week follow-up. As hypothesized, all groups experienced a significant decrease in anxiety between the post-intervention and follow-up assessments; however, there was a trend towards significance for those who were exposed to the cognitive-based intervention to experience a greater decrease in anxiety than those in the control group. The cognitive-based intervention group was the only group that did not experience a significant increase in thought-suppression from baseline to post-intervention, and was also the only group to experience an increase in both frequency of and belief in low-responsibility thoughts from baseline to follow-up. No significant group differences were found for the construct of magical thinking. Implications are discussed.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been linked to a dysmorphic construction of self that is closely tied to mental illness (Bhar & Kyrios, 2007). Although associations have been found, no study has determined the impact of OCD on one's self-perception, to better understand how to resolve patients' dysmorphic construction and fear of oneself. College students (N = 410; M = 20.60, SD = 4.27) completed an anonymous online survey for course credit. The survey consisted of a demographic questionnaire, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (Foa et al., 2002), theEgo-Dystonicity Questionnaire (Purdon et al., 2007), and the Self-concept Identity Measure (Kaufman et al., 2019). To determine if scores on the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory would predict scores on the Identity Measure and if the Ego-Dystonicity scale would account for a greater percentage of the variation in Identity subscale scores than Obsessing scores alone, multiple regression analyses were utilized. Results suggest that although, symptoms of OCD were useful in predicting variance all of the identity subscales, ego-dystonicity appeared to be particularly useful for establishing incremental validity in the prediction of the lack of identity subscale. Implications for intervention and prevention efforts in regard to the effects of OCD on identity will be discussed.

The present research assessed whether levels of depression, anxiety and worry, obsessive-compulsive distress, and psychopathy were differentially related to distinct thought suppression profiles. As a means to achieving this goal, the Profiles of Everyday Thought Suppression (PETS) scale was constructed to measure the frequencies with which various target thoughts are suppressed. The PETS scale demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and scores were positively correlated with the general tendency to experience intrusions, the general tendency to suppress thoughts, neuroticism, and health complaints. Although the proportions of time people suppress thoughts was positively associated with the frequencies with which the thoughts are experienced, the strength of the associations differed across thought contents, suggesting that not all frequently experienced thoughts are invariably subject to suppression attempts. The frequency with which thoughts are generally suppressed was positively associated with overall levels of subclinical psychopathology experienced during the past month. When comparing across the various thought categories, results from multiple analytic strategies converged to suggest that specific subclinical psychopathological states are associated with particular sets of thoughts that are frequently suppressed. / Psychology

No description available.

This thesis presents four studies that examine the potential role that intrusive thoughts, dissociation and mindfulness in self-harming behaviours in young people and adults. A large online study was conducted with students and staff at a UK university. This examined a range of risk factors for self-harm derived from the literature, including dissociation, family background/trauma history and intrusive thoughts. This study was followed up with a qualitative study investigating triggers of self-harm, and the role of intrusive thoughts. A third study then looked at these factors in young people who were inpatients in an American psychiatric hospital, and who had all expressed intent to self- harm or commit suicide. This study also introduced a measure of trait mindfulness in order to investigate this potential way of dealing with intrusive thoughts. Finally, the risk factors identified in these studies were further investigated with an online survey with undergraduate students at a second UK university, dissociation, mindfulness and thought suppression. Intrusive thoughts were found to differ in content, frequency and effect between people with experience of self-harm and those without. A subgroup of potentially maladaptive behaviours were found to be associated with high scores on the predictors of self-harm, and therefore potentially predictive of self-harm. In the young people in hospital, the extent to which they reacted to their intrusive thoughts was inversely associated with the extent to which they were naturally mindful. Trait mindfulness scores were lower for those individuals with a history of childhood trauma, and for those meeting diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder, in which self-harm is a key feature. These findings together suggest that mindfulness skills may play an important role in both dealing with intrusive thoughts and for protecting against self-harm. Overall, intrusive thoughts and dissociation were associated with experience of self- harming behaviours, while mindfulness skills were negatively associated with self-harm. Some potentially maladaptive behaviours (including smoking and eating pathology) represent risk factors for self-harm, and therefore may provide professionals with a way of identifying people for early intervention, if further longitudinal research shows evidence of progression. Alternatively, the differences in mindfulness between this group and the self-harmers may indicate that mindfulness training could benefit people who self-harm.