The relationship between emotion regulation strategies and obsessive-compulsive disorder: An experimental study

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 18 - 33, 25.04.2024

Tuğba Çapar Taşkesen Müjgan İnözü

https://doi.org/10.57127/kpd.26024438.1274969

Abstract

Due to the limited number of studies in the literature conducted to examine the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and the obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, the current study aimed at examining the role of emotion regulation strategies in obsessive compulsive disorder via an experimental design. The study consisted of two stages. In the first stage, the aim was to determine the participants’ symptom severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the second stage, the participants were presented with a scenario that triggered the feeling of disgust, and the “Emotion Regulation Scale” was given to the participants before and after the scenario. The sample consisted of 328 university students. Findings indicated that the group with severe symptoms used significantly more “the suppression strategies” compared to the group with less severe symptoms. The use of “the cognitive reappraisal strategy” was significantly low in the group with severe symptoms before the scenario was given. However, the difference between these groups after the scenario was not found to be significant. Furthermore, it was found that the participants with severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms experienced more difficulty in emotion regulation than the group with less severe symptoms in all the sub-dimensions of the “Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.” On the other hand, according to the regression analysis, only the sub-dimensions concerning the impulse control and the ability to choose appropriate emotion regulation strategy predicted obsessive-compulsive disorder. As the symptom severity in obsessive-compulsive disorder intensified, more difficulties in emotion regulation were observed. Findings regarding the current study are presented in the discussion section.

Keywords

emotion regulation, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suppression, cognitive reappraisal

Ethical Statement

The current research was approved by Hacettepe University Ethics Committee (Date: 10.04.2020; Issue: 12908312-300/00001074666).

Supporting Institution

The present study is based on the doctoral thesis of the first author under the supervision of the second author, as a requirement of the Hacettepe University Clinical Psychology Doctorate Program.

Duygu düzenleme stratejilerinin obsesif kompulsif bozukluk ile ilişkisi: Deneysel bir çalışma

Abstract

Duygu düzenleme ve obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyi arasındaki ilişkiyi inceleyen çalışmaların alanyazında kısıtlı olması nedeniyle mevcut çalışmada duygu düzenleme stratejilerinin obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyindeki rolü deneysel bir yöntem ile incelenmiştir. Mevcut çalışma iki aşamadan oluşmaktadır. İlk aşamada katılımcıların obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyini belirlemek amacıyla bir tarama çalışması yürütülmüştür. İkinci aşamada ise tiksinme duygusunu tetikleyen bir senaryo katılımcılara sunulmuş ve katılımcılardan hem senaryo öncesinde hem de senaryo sonrasında Duygu Düzenleme Ölçeğini doldurmaları istenmiştir. Araştırma örneklemi 328 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşmuştur. Senaryo öncesinde ve sonrasında elde edilen bulgular, obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyi yüksek olan grubun düşük olan grup ile karşılaştırıldığında anlamlı olarak daha yüksek “bastırma” stratejisi kullandığına işaret etmiştir. Senaryo öncesi puanlarda, “bilişsel yeniden değerlendirme” duygu düzenleme stratejisi obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyi yüksek olan grupta anlamlı olarak daha düşük düzeyde olmasına rağmen senaryo sonrası puanlarda gruplar arası anlamlı bir fark bulunamamıştır. Bununla birlikte, senaryo öncesinde katılımcılara Duygu Düzenlemede Güçlükler Ölçeği verilmiştir. Obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirti düzeyi yüksek olan grubun düşük gruba kıyasla Duygu Düzenlemede Güçlükler Ölçeğinin tüm alt boyut puanlarında daha fazla duygu düzenleme güçlüğü rapor ettiği anlaşılmıştır. Diğer yandan, regresyon analizinden elde edilen bulgular obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirtilerini yalnızca dürtü kontrolü ve uygun duygu düzenleme stratejisini seçebilmeye ilişkin alt boyut puanlarının anlamlı olarak yordadığına işaret etmiştir. Buna göre, duygu düzenlemede dürtü kontrolüne ve uygun bir duygu düzenleme stratejisi seçebilmeye ilişkin güçlük arttıkça obsesif kompulsif bozukluk belirtileri artış göstermiştir. Çalışma bulguları ilgili alanyazın eşliğinde tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

duygu düzenleme, obsesif kompulsif bozukluk, bastırma, bilişsel yeniden değerlendirme

Ethical Statement

Mevcut çalışma, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Etik Komisyonu tarafından değerlendirilmiş olup 10.04.2020 tarihli ve 12908312-300/00001074666 sayılı karar ile etik ilke ve kurallara uygun bulunmuştur.

Supporting Institution

Mevcut çalışma, ilk yazarın Hacettepe Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Doktora Programının gerekliliği olarak ikinci yazarın danışmanlığında yürüttüğü doktora tez çalışmasına dayanmaktadır.

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