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Associations Between Fear of Guilt and Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2022

Niamh C. Kenny ,
Vladan Starcevic  and
David Berle Open the ORCID record for David Berle [Opens in a new window]
Niamh C. Kenny
Affiliation:
Discipline of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
Vladan Starcevic
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
David Berle*
Affiliation:
Discipline of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
*Corresponding author: David Berle, Discipline of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, 100 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia. Email: david.berle@uts.edu.au
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Abstract

Half of the people who seek treatment for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) do not benefit from first-line interventions. A better understanding of the factors associated with obsessions and compulsions may inform the development of more effective treatments. This study aimed to examine whether a fear of guilt is associated with obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Fear of guilt incorporates two domains: punishment (the tendency to believe that guilt means one is bad and to punish oneself for feelings of guilt) and harm prevention (the tendency to believe that guilt implies failure to be one's ideal self and the drive to prevent feelings of guilt). Online questionnaires assessing OCD symptoms, fear of guilt, and other related factors were administered to 192 adults. In contrast to previous studies, key conceptually relevant constructs, such as shame, anxiety, and depression symptoms, were also assessed. The punishment dimension of fear of guilt subscale was positively associated with OCD symptoms controlling for age, sex, guilt, shame, responsibility for harm, generalised anxiety, and depression. The punishment domain of fear of guilt may therefore be an important factor to consider and potentially target in treatments for OCD. Future investigations with clinical populations may clarify the importance of fear of guilt in OCD.

Keywords

OCDguiltfearpunishmentharm prevention
Type
Standard Paper
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , September 2023 , pp. 169 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy

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