Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Features, Functional Impairment and Hopelessness in Medical Students: The Mediating Role of Depression

Year 2025, Volume: 35 Issue: 1, 133 - 141, 28.02.2025

Esat Fahri Aydın , Oğuzhan Şenel , Ceren Özağaçhanlı

https://doi.org/10.54005/geneltip.1565449

Abstract

Background/Aims: We aimed to assess the associations of hopelessness, functional impairment, depression, anxiety, stress, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) features in medical students.

Methods: The Sheehan Disability Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), OCPD subscale of Personality Belief Questionnaire-Short Form (PBQ-SF-OCPD) were administered to the participants.

Results: The study included 164 medical students. 29.88% (n=49) of the medical students showed hopelessness (BHS scores ≥9). SDS work/school score (p<0.001), SDS social life score (p<0.001), SDS family life score (p=0.001), SDS-total score (p<0.001), DASS-21 depression score (p<0.001), DASS-21 anxiety score (p<0.001), DASS-21 stress score (p<0.001) and PBQ-SF-OCPD score (p=0.019) were significantly higher in the hopelessness group than in the group without hopelessness. BHS score was positively correlated with SDS work/school score (r=0.446, p<0.001), SDS social life score (r=0.473, p<0.001), SDS family life score (r=0.328, p<0.001), SDS total score (r=0.461, p<0.001), DASS-21 depression score (r=0.686, p<0.001), DASS-21 Anxiety score (r=0.484, p<0.001), DASS-21 Stress score (r=0.501, p<0.001) and PBQ-SF-OCPD score (r=0.190, p=0.015). According to mediation analysis results, the indirect effect of PBQ-SF-OCPD score on BHS score via DASS-21 depression score was 0.119 (95% CI: 0.027 - 0.230) and the standardized indirect effect of PBQ-SF-OCPD score on BHS score via DASS-21 depression score was 0.153 (95% CI: 0.035 - 0.284). The DASS-21 depression score was found to be a full mediator of the PBQ-SF- OCPD score on the BHS score.

Conclusions: The high rate of hopelessness in medical students is noteworthy. The finding regarding hopelessness’s association with functional impairment and OCPD features needs to be explored in the future. In the interventions to improve mental health in medical students, clinicians may focus on the mediating effect of depression between OCPD features and hopelessness.

Keywords

hope, psychosocial functioning, compulsive personality disorder, depression, anxiety, stress psychological

Ethical Statement

The Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine Ethical Committee approved this study (date: 26/01/2023, meeting number: 1, decision no: 80).

Supporting Institution

-

Project Number

-

Thanks

We are grateful to all participants.

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