Comparing early maladaptive schemas, perseverative thinking, and somatoform dissociation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder with normal population

BACKGROUND: Considering the importance of psychological factors in exacerbating diseases such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this study was carried out aiming to compare the early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), perseverative thinking, and somatoform dissociation among normal individuals and patients with OCD. METHODS: The causal-comparative (ex post facto) method was used in this study. The population consisted of all patients with OCD referring to the centers for comprehensive urban health services of Ardabil, Iran, in the second half of 2017. The research cluster sampling included 30 patients with OCD whose disease was diagnosed by a responsible physician or clinical psychologist, selected by random sampling method. Moreover, 30 normal people were selected in the sampling method by matching age, sex, and marital status and included in the study. The subjects responded to the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), and Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). RESULTS: The results showed that the mean scores of patients with OCD in EMSs, perseverative thinking, and Somatoform dissociation were significantly higher than normal subjects (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that patients with OCD differ in a wide range of EMSs, perseverative thinking, Somatoform dissociation from normal subjects. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to these cognitive components in the treatment process.