Religious obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or scrupulosity is a subtype of OCD consisting of religious-themed obsessions and/or compulsions. Individuals with scrupulosity are most likely first to disclose symptoms and seek help from their religious leaders. As a result, religious leaders’ responses to disclosed symptoms may have a substantial impact on the course of the disorder, including how individuals interpret their symptoms and whether they decide to seek assistance from a mental health provider. Despite the potentially important role of religious leaders in the course of scrupulosity, research focused on the religious leaders’ perceptions of scrupulosity is limited. Further, little is known about the guidance and recommendations religious leaders provide to individuals with scrupulosity. As a result, more research is needed to understand how religious leaders respond to scrupulosity. In response to this need, the purpose of the current study is to enhance the understanding of religious leaders’ perceptions of and responses to scrupulosity. Of particular interest is how religious leaders respond to those who report both unwanted, intrusive thoughts and indulgent thoughts that do not align with religious principles. Finally, this study will also seek to assess any patterns or differences in the perceptions of scrupulosity across different religious affiliations. A sample of 15 religious leaders affiliated with a variety of faiths, including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, took part in this study. Participants engaged in a semi- structured interview to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how religious leaders perceive scrupulous symptomatology. This line of research has the potential to improve collaboration between religious leaders and mental health providers who encounter individuals with scrupulosity and inform means to improve treatment outcomes for religious/moral OCD.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd2023-1468 |
| Date | 01 January 2024 |
| Creators | Hale, Nicole K |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024 |
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