Emotion regulation difficulties in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Objective: Emotion regulation difficulties are implicated in psychological disorders but their role in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is unclear. Two studies examining these difficulties in OCD are presented.

Method: A community sample (Study 1; n = 306) and a clinical OCD sample (Study 2; n = 59) completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and measures of depression, anxiety, and OCD. In Study 2, the OCD sample was compared to a matched control group (n = 59, selected from Study 1).

Results: In Study 1, OCD was positively correlated with DERS total and subscale scores, and the DERS significantly predicted OCD severity even after accounting for age, gender, depression, and anxiety. In Study 2, emotion regulation difficulties were significantly higher in the clinical sample compared to the matched control group, even after accounting for depression and anxiety.

Conclusion: Results showed that emotion regulation difficulties in OCD cannot simply be attributed to mood difficulties. Theoretical and treatment implications are discussed.

Keywords: OCD; difficulties in emotion regulation; emotion dysregulation; obsessive-compulsive disorder.