Comparison of thought-action fusion and self-compassion in individuals with different patterns of obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal individuals

Identifying the factors involved in Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), especially compared to non-clinical groups, is of utmost importance. The aim of this  study is to compare thought-action fusion and self-compassion in individuals with different patterns of obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal individuals.

To perform the study, 45 participants with OCD symptoms, ie, checking obsession (n=15), washing obsession(n=15), and scrupulosity(n=15) who referred to  consultation and psychotherapy centers in Behbahan City and 45 healthy and normal individuals were selected using convenient sampling. The participants completed the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS), the Thought-Fusion Instrument (TFI) developed by Wells, Gwilliam, and Cartwright-Hatton (2001), and the Self-Compassion Scale developed by Reese et al. (SCS). Afterward, the collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

The results indicated a significant difference between normal individuals and individuals suffering from various patterns of OCD  via thought-action fusion (p<0.001) and self-compassion (p<0.001).

It seems that people suffering from OCD have a higher level of thought-action fusion and a lower level of self-compassion compared to normal healthy individuals.