The Cognitive Predictors of Obsessive- Compulsive Symptoms in Students

Obsessive-compulsive disorders are common in the society and have negative effects on individual’s function. Prevailing theories indicate that these disorders are influenced by biological factors. However, cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder have emphasis on cognitive factors. This study was carried out to investigate the cognitive predictors of obsessive- compulsive symptoms in students.
In this correlational study 300 students (243 female and 57 male) in the fields of psychology, education, agricultural engineering, computer science, management and law from Lorestan Pyam-e-Noor University, Iran were selected by multistage cluster sampling in the second semester of academic year 2014-15. The students completed Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Meta Cognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous multiple regression analysis by SPSS-16.
Findings indicated that worry, meta-cognitive beliefs and maladaptive schemas significantly correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p According to effective role of study variables with obsessive-compulsive, holding the periodic training coping skills with obsessive-compulsive disorder for students and providing solutions promoting mental health during academic period should be considered by health custodians in universities.