Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and daily experiences of posttraumatic stress and mental contamination following sexual trauma

Christal L. Badour; Jordyn M. Tipsword; Alyssa C. Jones; Jesse P. McCann; Emily E. Fenlon; C. Alex Brake; Sophia Alvarran; Caitlyn O. Hood; Thomas G. Adams

doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100767

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and daily experiences of posttraumatic stress and mental contamination following sexual trauma

Christal L. Badour, Jordyn M. Tipsword, Alyssa C. Jones, Jesse P. McCann, Emily E. Fenlon, C. Alex Brake, Sophia Alvarran, Caitlyn O. Hood, Thomas G. Adams

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about how these disorders relate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether 1) OCD symptoms prospectively predicted daily symptoms of PTSD, and 2) OCD and PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted daily experiences of sexual trauma-related mental contamination (i.e., dirtiness in the absence of a physical pollutant). Forty-one women with a sexual trauma history completed baseline measures of OCD and PTSD, as well as twice-daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and mental contamination over a two-week period. Total OCD symptoms and the unacceptable thoughts dimension significantly predicted daily PTSD symptoms after accounting for other OCD dimensions. Only total OCD symptoms significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined together with total PTSD symptoms. No individual PTSD or OCD clusters/dimensions significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined simultaneously. Findings from this study highlight the nuanced associations among OCD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of mental contamination. Future research is needed to further understand the development of PTSD, OCD, and mental contamination over time to inform targets for intervention.

Original language	English
Article number	100767
Journal	Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Volume	36
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100767
State	Published - Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project was supported by the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women at the University of Kentucky and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998 at the National Institute of Health ( NIH ). Writing of this manuscript was supported, in part, by the Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Keywords

Compulsions
Mental contamination
Obsessions
Posttraumatic stress
Trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100767

Cite this

Badour, C. L., Tipsword, J. M., Jones, A. C., McCann, J. P., Fenlon, E. E., Brake, C. A., Alvarran, S., Hood, C. O., & Adams, T. G. (2023). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and daily experiences of posttraumatic stress and mental contamination following sexual trauma. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 36, Article 100767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100767

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abstract = "Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about how these disorders relate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether 1) OCD symptoms prospectively predicted daily symptoms of PTSD, and 2) OCD and PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted daily experiences of sexual trauma-related mental contamination (i.e., dirtiness in the absence of a physical pollutant). Forty-one women with a sexual trauma history completed baseline measures of OCD and PTSD, as well as twice-daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and mental contamination over a two-week period. Total OCD symptoms and the unacceptable thoughts dimension significantly predicted daily PTSD symptoms after accounting for other OCD dimensions. Only total OCD symptoms significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined together with total PTSD symptoms. No individual PTSD or OCD clusters/dimensions significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined simultaneously. Findings from this study highlight the nuanced associations among OCD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of mental contamination. Future research is needed to further understand the development of PTSD, OCD, and mental contamination over time to inform targets for intervention.",

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note = "Funding Information: This project was supported by the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women at the University of Kentucky and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998 at the National Institute of Health ( NIH ). Writing of this manuscript was supported, in part, by the Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",

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AU - Brake, C. Alex

AU - Alvarran, Sophia

AU - Hood, Caitlyn O.

AU - Adams, Thomas G.

N1 - Funding Information: This project was supported by the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women at the University of Kentucky and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998 at the National Institute of Health ( NIH ). Writing of this manuscript was supported, in part, by the Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, the Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

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N2 - Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about how these disorders relate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether 1) OCD symptoms prospectively predicted daily symptoms of PTSD, and 2) OCD and PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted daily experiences of sexual trauma-related mental contamination (i.e., dirtiness in the absence of a physical pollutant). Forty-one women with a sexual trauma history completed baseline measures of OCD and PTSD, as well as twice-daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and mental contamination over a two-week period. Total OCD symptoms and the unacceptable thoughts dimension significantly predicted daily PTSD symptoms after accounting for other OCD dimensions. Only total OCD symptoms significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined together with total PTSD symptoms. No individual PTSD or OCD clusters/dimensions significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined simultaneously. Findings from this study highlight the nuanced associations among OCD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of mental contamination. Future research is needed to further understand the development of PTSD, OCD, and mental contamination over time to inform targets for intervention.

AB - Although cross-sectional research highlights similarities between symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among individuals exposed to sexual trauma, little is known about how these disorders relate over time. The goal of the present study was to examine whether 1) OCD symptoms prospectively predicted daily symptoms of PTSD, and 2) OCD and PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted daily experiences of sexual trauma-related mental contamination (i.e., dirtiness in the absence of a physical pollutant). Forty-one women with a sexual trauma history completed baseline measures of OCD and PTSD, as well as twice-daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and mental contamination over a two-week period. Total OCD symptoms and the unacceptable thoughts dimension significantly predicted daily PTSD symptoms after accounting for other OCD dimensions. Only total OCD symptoms significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined together with total PTSD symptoms. No individual PTSD or OCD clusters/dimensions significantly predicted daily mental contamination when examined simultaneously. Findings from this study highlight the nuanced associations among OCD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of mental contamination. Future research is needed to further understand the development of PTSD, OCD, and mental contamination over time to inform targets for intervention.

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Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and daily experiences of posttraumatic stress and mental contamination following sexual trauma

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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