Perceived parental rearing style in obsessive–compulsive disorder: relation to symptom dimensions
Issue date
2004Author
Alonso, Pino
Menchón, José M.
Mataix-Cols, David
Urretavizcaya, Mikel
Crespo, José M.
Jiménez, Susana
Vallejo, Gema
Vallejo, Julio
Suggested citation
Alonso, Pino;
Menchón, José M.;
Mataix-Cols, David;
Pifarré Paredero, Josep;
Urretavizcaya, Mikel;
Crespo, José M.;
...
Vallejo, Julio.
(2004)
.
Perceived parental rearing style in obsessive–compulsive disorder: relation to symptom dimensions.
Psychiatry Research, 2004, vol. 127, núm. 3, p. 267-278.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2001.12.002.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Obsessive – compulsive disorder (OCD) runs in families, but the specific contribution of genetic and environmental factors
to its development is not well understood. The aim of this study was to assess whether there are differences in perceived
parental child-rearing practices between OCD patients and healthy controls, and whether any relationship exists between
parental characteristics, depressive symptoms and the expression of particular OCD symptom dimensions. A group of 40
OCD outpatients and 40 matched healthy controls received the EMBU (Own Memories of Parental Rearing Experiences in
Childhood), a self-report measure of perceived parental child-rearing style. The Yale –Brown Obsessive –Compulsive Scale
(Y –BOCS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were used to assess the severity of obsessive –compulsive
and depressive symptoms. The Y –BOCS Symptom Checklist was used to assess the nature of obsessive – compulsive
symptoms, considering the following five symptom dimensions: contamination/cleaning, aggressive/checking, symmetry/
ordering, sexual/religious and hoarding. Logistic and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to study the
relationship between parental style of upbringing, depressive symptoms and OCD symptom dimensions. Severe OCD (Y –
BOCS: 27.0 F 7.4) and mild to moderate depressive symptoms (HDRS: 14.0 F 5.4) were detected in our sample. Compared
with healthy controls, OCD patients perceived higher levels of rejection from their fathers. No differences between the
groups with respect to perceived levels of overprotection were detected. The seventy of depressive symptoms could not be
predicted by scores on any perceived parental characteristics. Hoarding was the only OCD symptom dimension that could be
partially predicted by parental traits, specifically low parental emotional warmth. Social/cultural variables such as parental
child-rearing patterns, in interaction with biological and genetic factors, may contribute to the expression of the OCD
phenotype.