The effects of childhood emotional abuse on aggressive obsessions among patients with obsessive compulsive disorder may be mediated by symptoms of depression and anxiety

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between childhood traumas (CTs) and severity and symptom dimensions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

METHOD: One hundred and sixty (160) patients diagnosed with OCD were included. The YaleBrown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to the participants.

RESULTS: According to a cut-off score of > 35 for CTQ total score, 71 (44.4%) OCD patients had no CT history and 89 (55.6%) OCD patients had CTs history. There were no significant difference between the two groups with regard to YBOCS total score or to obsessions and compulsions except aggressive obsessions. The associations between aggressive obsessions, BDI total score, BAI total score and emotional abuse were statistically significant, but the correlation between aggressive obsessions and emotional abuse was no longer significant after controlling for BDI and BAI total scores. In the parallel multiple mediator model analysis, there were not statistically significant mediator effects of depression and anxiety variables in the relationship between emotional abuse and aggressive obsessions. Mobility in childhood was significantly correlated with physical abuse, and this correlation was still significant after controlling for BDI and BAI total scores. BDI total score was significantly associated with sexual abuse.

CONCLUSION: The relationship between CTs and OCD should be reconsidered in light of other contributing factors such as comorbidity.