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. 2023 Nov 13:3:103924.
doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2023.103924. eCollection 2024.

Experiential avoidance and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in University students

Alexandre V Silva  1 , Renan B de Christo  1 , Raíza Alves-Pereira  2   3 , Gustavo Santiago Alves  1 , Isabella D Ferreira  1 , Carolina Cappi  4 , Lucas C Quarantini  1   2   3   5 , Aline S Sampaio  1   2   3   5
Affiliations

Experiential avoidance and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in University students

Alexandre V Silva et al. Neurosci Appl. .

Abstract

Experiential avoidance is functional diagnostic dimension which refers to the unwillingness to engage with distressing thoughts, feelings, memories, and other internal experiences, despite the subsequent impairment it may cause. The spectrum of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) is often associated with anxiety and avoidant behaviors. It is still unknown the relation of each OCD dimension with experiential avoidance. This study aims to examine the relationship between dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and experiential avoidance in a college student sample. A total of 390 undergraduate students participated in this investigation, completing online surveys including DYBOC-short version and the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ), alongside assessments of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). The findings indicated a significant correlation between experiential avoidance, obsessive-compulsive symptom scores, and depression scores within a non-clinical sample.

Keywords: Experiential avoidance; OCD; Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: LCQ reports consulting fees from Allergan, Abbot, Janssen Pharmaceutical and Lundbeck, and research fees from Janssen Pharmaceutical. All the other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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