Expressiveness, control and ambivalence in emotional expression in patients with Obsessive personality disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the normal group

There is a convincing evidence that suggests high rates of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Comparison and evaluation of different styles of emotional expression، with respect to its various subsets can clarify the characteristic of the two disorders and indicate the similarities and differences between them. The aim of this study was to compare the styles of emotional expression (expressiveness، control and ambivalence in emotional expression) in patients with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder، obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal subjects. To this end، in a post-event study of 43 patients with obsessive personality disorder، 41 patients with obsessive disorder and30 normal patients were selected in a screening method. They were tested in terms of obsessive compulsive disorder، obsessive compulsive personality disorder and emotional expressiveness، emotional control، ambivalence in emotional expression. ANOVA results indicated a significant difference in the control group and the ambivalence expressed emotion. It seems not only emotional expressiveness cannot be an indicator of differentiation for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder but it is even not a good indicator to distinguish between a normal groups of patients. However، emotional control and the intensity of ambivalence in emotional expression may be an indicator of differentiation for the two disorders.