Parenting and mother-infant interactions in the context of maternal postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder: Effects of obsessional symptoms and mood

BackgroundMaternal mental illness is associated with negative effects on the infant and child. Increased attention has been paid to the effects of specific perinatal disorders on parenting and interactions as an important mechanism of influence. OCD can be a debilitating disorder for the sufferer and those around them. Although OCD is a common perinatal illness, no previous studies have characterized parenting and mother infant interactions in detail for mothers with OCD.Methods37 mothers with postpartum OCD and a 6 month old infant were compared with 37 community control dyads on a variety of measures of psychological distress and parenting. Observed mother-infant interactions were assessed independently.ResultsObsessions and compulsions were reported in both groups, although they did not cause interference in the control group. Mothers with OCD were troubled by their symptoms for a mean of 9.6 hours/day. Mothers with OCD were less confident, reported more marital distress and less social support than healthy peers and were less likely to be breastfeeding. Infant temperament ratings did not differ. Mothers with OCD were rated as less sensitive in interactions than the comparison group, partly attributable to levels of concurrent depression.ConclusionsMaternal postpartum OCD is a disorder that can affect experiences of parenting and mother-infant interactions although this may not be driven by OCD symptoms. Longitudinal studies are required to assess the trajectory and impact of maternal difficulties as the infant develops.     

Dysfunctional cognitions mediate the relationships between religiosity,paranormal beliefs,and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder

ABSTRACT

Research suggests that religious/paranormal beliefs are related to symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including scrupulosity (i.e., religious/moral obsessions and compulsions). However, the mechanisms that underlie these relationships are not well understood. This study focused on examining whether dysfunctional beliefs (DBs) mediate the relationships between: i) religiosity and OCD, ii) religiosity and scrupulosity, iii) paranormal beliefs and OCD, as well as iv) paranormal beliefs and scrupulosity. Students (n?=?775) completed a survey measuring religiosity, paranormal beliefs, OCD, scrupulosity, DBs (inflated sense of responsibility and over-estimation of threat [RT], intolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism [PC], and importance of and the need to control thoughts [ICT]), as well as depression and anxiety. Mediation analyses revealed that RT and ICT mediated all four relationships and PC mediated three of the four relationships. This suggests that paranormal and religious beliefs are associated with DBs which in turn may contribute to the severity of OCD.     

Social Judgment of Abortion: A Black-Sheep Effect in a Catholic Sheepfold

Abstract

French Catholic participants (N = 340) with high or low religious identification read 1 of 8 scenarios presented as an interview with a female target 2 months after she had had an abortion. The experimental device varied situational pressure (pressure vs. no pressure), the target's religious social identity (Catholic vs. neutral), and the consequences of abortion for the target (positive vs. negative). The participants then rated the acceptability of the target's decision. The participants judged abortion more negatively in the no-pressure condition. Moreover, the participants with high religious identification judged abortion more negatively than did those with low religious identification. In partial support of a black-sheep effect, the participants with high religious identification judged the Catholic target more negatively than they judged the neutral one in some conditions (pressure, negative consequences). In other conditions (no pressure, both positive and negative consequences), the participants with low religious identification judged the Catholic target more positively than they judged the neutral one.     

Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and correlates in community exercisers

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between OCD symptoms and the constructs of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and commitment to exercise in community-based exercisers.Design and methodA mixed-methods approach was utilized. A sample of 64 female and 21 male participants (M age = 52.1 years) completed a series of online or written questionnaires related to the noted variables, while a subset of 10 participants participated in a qualitative interview to explain their OCD symptoms and exercise behavior.ResultsPearson correlations indicated all psychological constructs were significantly correlated with each other (absolute r's ranged from .27 to .78, all p's < .001), while a canonical correlation analysis revealed one significant function (Wilk's λ = .360, R_c = .80, p < .001). Set 1 (OCD symptoms) explained 36% of the variance in Set 2 (anxiety, depression, self-esteem and commitment to exercise), while Set 2 explained 64% of the variance in Set 1. Four primary themes were established from the qualitative data, including: 1) being involved in sport or physical activity from a young age, 2) high benefits versus low consequences of regular participation in exercise, 3) involvement in detail-oriented jobs, and 4) easy adjustments to unplanned deviations from an exercise schedule.ConclusionsOverall, this research suggests that community-based exercisers with elevated OCD symptoms simply display a healthy attention to the frequency and detail of their physical activity, which facilitates them staying active across a variety of conditions.     

Risking Everything in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: An Analogue Decision-Making Study

An experiment examined decision-making processes among nonclinical participants with low or high levels of OCD symptomatology (N?=?303). To better simulate the decision environments that are most likely to be problematic for clients with OCD, we employed decision tasks that incorporated “black swan” options that have a very low probability but involve substantial loss. When faced with a choice between a safer option that involved no risk of loss or a riskier alternative with a very low probability of substantial loss, most participants chose the safer option regardless of OCD symptom level. However, when faced with choices between options that had similar expected values to the previous choices, but where each option had some low risk of a substantial loss, there was a significant shift towards riskier decisions. These effects were stronger when the task involved a contamination based, health-relevant decision task as compared to one with financial outcomes. The results suggest that both low and high symptom OC participants approach decisions involving risk-free options and decisions involving risky alternatives in qualitatively different ways. There was some evidence that measures of impulsivity were better predictors of the shift to risky decision making than OCD symptomatology.

     

Religion and Drinking in the Retirement Community

ABSTRACT

The effect of religiosity on drinking patterns of retirement community residents is examined. Based on a systematic random sample, residents of seven West Coast retirement communities were interviewed. Data on religiosity were categorized into social religious activity, and personal religious behavior. It was found that retirement community residents drink more than senior Americans living in other locations; conservative Protestants, identified as those claiming affiliation with denominations that prohibit alcohol consumption, drink less than Roman Catholics or liberal Protestants; and those who score low on religiosity drink more than those who score high on religiosity regardless of denominational affiliation. It was also shown that for conservative Protestants private religiosity predicts drinking behavior, and for liberal Protestants social religious behavior is a predictor variable. The influence of religiosity on drinking behavior was found to be significant.     

Predictors of treatment outcome for youth receiving intensive residential treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the predictors of outcome from intensive residential treatment of OCD. This study aimed to examine age, gender, and baseline OCD severity, as well as measures of comorbid anxiety and depressive, internalizing/externalizing, and inattention symptoms, as predictors of treatment outcome in adolescents receiving intensive residential treatment for OCD.

The sample comprised 314 adolescents aged 13–17 years with treatment-resistant OCD and a Children’s Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale Self-Report (CY-BOCS-SR) total score ≥16. Bivariate and multiple regression models were used to evaluate the predictors of continuous OCD severity outcome and treatment response.

Results of the bivariate regression analyses of predictors demonstrated that length of treatment, pre-treatment OCD severity, and symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly predicted post-treatment OCD severity, while only symptoms of depression and anxiety predicted treatment response. When including all predictors in the same model, only baseline OCD severity remained a significant predictor of post-treatment OCD severity, and none of the assessed variables significantly predicted treatment response.

Results indicate that low pre-treatment OCD severity predicts lower OCD severity following treatment, although it did not predict treatment response.     

Effects of Religious Participation on Social Inclusion and Existential Well-Being Levels of Muslim Refugees and Immigrants in Turkey

ABSTRACT

Being a refugee or immigrant brings many difficulties that can detrimentally affect well-being. Participation in social life and feeling included in the host country can play an important role on well-being. This article aims to investigate the effects of religious participation and social inclusion on well-being levels of refugees and immigrants. Data were collected from 97 participants who were enrolled in voluntary Turkish language courses for refugees in Istanbul. Results of path analysis indicated that religious participation enhanced the level of social inclusion and social inclusion fostered existential well-being. Although religious participation demonstrated no direct effects on existential well-being, it showed a significant and positive indirect effect through social inclusion. Results of difference tests indicated that participants with higher level of education attended to religious activities significantly more often and their existential well-being and social inclusion levels were higher as well. Results also demonstrated that social inclusion scores of high attenders (to religious activities) were significantly higher.     

Does religion affect humour creation? An experimental study

Humour has been hypothesized to be negatively affected by religion. In a recent study (Saroglou, 2000), religiosity and religious fundamentalism (contrary to 'quest' religiosity) were found to be negatively associated with humour creation. The present experiment investigated whether this association reflects causality. Eighty-five students were tested for their propensity to spontaneously produce humour as a response to hypothetical daily hassles after exposure to a religious video or to a humorous one vs. a non-stimulation condition. Significant effects of condition, gender and interaction were observed, and this in the predicted direction: religious stimulation inhibited humour, while humorous stimulation promoted it. Participants' religious fundamentalism and orthodoxy predicted low humour creation in the religious condition but not in the humorous one. The possible impact of conscientiousness is also discussed.     

Verbal and practical intelligence in general anxiety,obsessive compulsive and major depression disorders

IntroductionPrevious researches have shown that anxiety symptoms are negatively associated with measures of intelligence. However, recent findings indicate possible positive relationships between Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD) and intelligence. Also, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is associated with a moderate degree of underperformance on cognitive tests, including deficient processing. There are inconsistent results to present the relationship between Major Depression Disorder (MDD) and IQ. The present study has three main aims. The first aim of this study is to investigate the difference between IQ in individuals with GAD, OCD and major depressive disorder, and normal group. The second purpose is to perform a comparative study between the GAD, OCD and MDD groups on verbal and non-verbal intelligence. The third aim of this study is to examine the relationships between GAD, OCD and MDD as well as their underlying cognitive processes, including worry, rumination, and post-event processing, with verbal and non-verbal intelligence.ObjectiveThe present study is performed on four groups of participants including those with GAD, OCD, MDD and Healthy Volunteer (HV) group consisting of individuals without psychiatric disorders.MethodThe number of 50 healthy volunteers as the control group, 45 patients with GAD, 20 patients with OCD and 25 patients with MDD (n = 140) were selected as the case-referent groups. The present study was a cross-sectional type and the research was performed based on the causal-comparative method. Verbal and non-verbal intelligence was measured with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-3rd edition (WAIS-III). Rumination and post-event processing were measured by PSWQ, RRS-BR, and PEPQ, respectively.ResultsThe results indicate that Verbal Intelligence and Verbal Comprehension Index in GAD patients have significant differences in comparison to the OCD, MDD and control groups. While, the value of the Working Memory Index (WMI) in the normal group is higher than the value of the same index in the GAD, OCD and MDD groups. Also, the values of the Processing Speed Index (PSI) in normal and GAD groups are higher than the OCD and MDD groups. The worry, rumination, and post-event processing in patients with GAD are positively correlated with general and verbal intelligence. But, verbal and non-verbal intelligence had a negative correlation with worry, rumination and post-event processing in healthy volunteers.ConclusionInvestigation of the possible connections between intelligence and the cognitive processes underlying emotional disorders can provide therapeutic strategies for smart individuals who are at risk for GAD.     

Long-term effects of religious upbringing

Abstract

The impact of religious experiences on development is often ignored in therapeutic settings. This study examines the effects of rigidity and fear in religious upbringings and of current religious status on conformity to parental expectations, guilt, aversion to religious artifacts, family strife, independence and irrational beliefs. Questionnaires were designed to measure these effects and were completed by 129 adult men and women. Regression analyses revealed that high histories of fear, high current religiosity and older age were predictive of guilt; high current religiosity predicted conformity to parental wishes; high histories of fear and low current religiosity predicted aversion to religious artifacts; and high histories of rigidity were predictive of family strife. Histories of religious rigidity and fear were differentially associated with disaffiliation from parental religions. Family strife was also associated with similarity of beliefs between subjects and their parents. Subjects over 30 years of age were more likely to report higher histories of fear and to be affiliated with their parents’ religion. Subjects under 30 years of age reported higher histories of rigidity. Results support the importance of considering religion, including religious history, as a cultural variable in research and practice.     

State,religion and the legal framework in Estonia ∗

Abstract

Estonia has a reputation as one of the most liberal countries as far as religion is concerned. At the same time Estonian society is also highly secularised. In the postcommunist period the principles of freedom of religion were laid down in the constitution adopted by referendum in 1992, and the first law on religious associations as legal entities was passed by parliament in 1993. This law reflected the ‘free market’ atmosphere of the early 1990s: all religious associations registered according to the law were treated equally. There are areas where state and religious institutions have found common interests. The main partners for the state have been the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the ecumenical association the Estonian Council of Churches. Could this be considered discriminatory when approximately 98 per cent of the adherents of any religion in Estonia claim to be Christians? There are different answers to this question. In 2002 a new law on religious associations replaced the previous law, but followed the principles established in 1993. There are also other laws and regulations on different aspects of religion, from the role of religion in public institutions like the army to religious traditions such as the slaughtering of animals. It could be argued that the successful establishing and maintaining of a liberal legislative framework for religion in Estonia is at least partly the outcome of the high secularisation level of Estonian society.     

Obsessive beliefs and uncertainty in obsessive compulsive and related patients

Background/objectiveThe aim of the present study was to examine obsessive beliefs and intolerance of uncertainty differences among patients Obsessive compulsive disoreder (OCD), trichotillomania, excoriation, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and a control group healthy.Method130 participants between the ages of 17 and 62 years (Mean = 29.56, SD = 11.81) diagnosed with OCD (n = 36), trichotillomania (n = 18), excoriation (n = 17), GAD (n = 31) and a healthy control group (n = 28) were evaluated by Obsessive Beliefs Spanish Inventory-Revised and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale.ResultsThe trichotillomania group presented one of the highest obsessive beliefs highlighting over-importance of thoughts, thought action fusion-moral, importance of controlling one's thoughts. The OCD group also had higher scores in inflated responsibility and thought action fusion-likelihood. The GAD group excelled in inhibitory and prospective uncertainty. The level of depression influenced obsessive beliefs while anxiety affected inhibitory and prospective uncertainty.ConclusionsCognitive variables such as obsessive beliefs and Intolerance of Uncertainty should be considered in the prevention and intervention of obsessive and anxiety disorders.     

Sleep predicts the response to rTMS and CBT in patients with OCD: an open label effectiveness study

BackgroundAlthough many OCD patients benefit from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as treatment, there is still a large group failing to achieve satisfactory response. Sleep problems have been considered transdiagnostic risk factors for psychiatric disorders, and prior work has shown comorbid sleep problems in OCD to be associated with non-response to rTMS in OCD. We therefore set out to investigate the utility of sleep problems in predicting response to rTMS in treatment resistant OCD.MethodA sample of 61 patients (treated with 1-Hz SMA or sequential 1-Hz SMA+DLPFC rTMS, combined with cognitive behavioral therapy) were included. Sleep disturbances were measured using the PSQI, HSDQ and actigraphy. Treatment response was defined as a decrease of at least 35% in symptom severity as measured with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).Results32 of 61 patients (52.5%) responded to rTMS, and trajectories of response were similar for both rTMS protocols. Three PSQI items (Subjective Sleep Quality; Sleep Latency and Daytime Dysfunction) and the HSDQ-insomnia scale were found to predict TMS response. A discriminant model yielded a significant model, with an area under the curve of 0.813.ConclusionFuture replication of these predictors could aid in a more personalized treatment for OCD.     

Religious discrimination and religious armed conflict in sub-Saharan Africa: an obvious relationship?

ABSTRACT

Relative deprivation theory suggests that discrimination increases the risk of violence. While religious armed conflicts have been increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, effects of religious discrimination have rarely been investigated. Using the new Religion and State dataset and other sources, this contribution investigates this question in a two-level analysis. The analysis yields three main results. First, religious discrimination has been increasing over the last 15 years but in interregional comparison sub-Saharan Africa has a low level of discrimination. Second, at the cross-country level there is a significant correlation between religious discrimination and armed conflict over religious content. Third, looking closer at four pertinent country cases (the Comoros, the Gambia, Mali and Mauritania) reveals that discrimination is probably not a direct driver of religious conflicts. High levels of discrimination are embedded in problematic state-religion relations and existing cleavages become mobilised along religious lines through transnational influences and geography.     

Physical activity in employees with differing occupational stress and mental health profiles: A latent profile analysis

ObjectivesTo examine whether employees with differing occupational stress and mental health profiles differ in their self-reported levels of physical activity.DesignCross-sectional survey data.MethodThe sample consisted of 2660 Swedish health care workers and social insurance officers (85% women, M = 46.3 years). Latent profile analysis was performed to identify classes. Between-class-differences in physical activity were tested via χ²-tests and multinominal logistic regression analyses using sex, age, BMI, marital status, children at home, caregiving, and smoking as covariates.ResultsLatent profile analysis resulted in a six-profile solution. Two pairs of classes had equal stress levels, one pair with high stress, one pair with moderate stress. Within each pair, one group showed some resilience (i.e. only moderate mental health problems despite high stress or good mental health despite moderate stress), whereas the other did not. The other two classes were characterized by either low stress and good mental health or moderate-to-high stress and elevated mental health problems. Participants who were resilient to high or moderate stress were more active than participants of the corresponding non-resilient classes. Participants with low stress and good mental health reported the highest physical activity levels, participants with high stress and high mental health problems reported the lowest physical activity levels.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that physical activity is associated with resilience to occupational stress, and that beyond primary prevention efforts to make work less stressful regular physical activity should be a target variable for health professionals working in the occupational setting.     

The Effects of Religiosity on Preferences and Expectations for Marital Therapy Among Married Christians

Highly religious couples constitute a substantial portion of marital therapy clients in the U.S. Married Christian individuals ( N = 211) completed a survey of demographics and religiosity (religious values and Christian beliefs). They rated preferences and expectations for one of four marital therapy situations: Christian therapist using Christian practices (e.g., prayer or reference to Scripture), Christian therapist using psychological practices only, non-Christian therapist willing to use Christian practices, and non-Christian therapist using psychological practices only. High religious values and high Christian beliefs predicted ratings of marital therapy situations, where high was defined as one standard deviation above the mean of standardized norm groups. Low to moderate religious values or Christian beliefs did not predict ratings of marital therapy. It was concluded that highly religious couples present a special situation where the marketing, assessment, and practice of marital therapy might differ from therapy with other types of couples.     

Emotional,behavioral, and cognitive factors that differentiate obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders in youth

Abstract

The current study examined specific emotional, behavioral, and cognitive variables that may distinguish obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia (SoP), and separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in youth. Youth with OCD (n=26) and other anxiety disorders (ADs; n=31), aged 7–12 years (56.1% males), and their parents participated. The study compared the two anxious groups on levels of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning, as well as impairment associated with the disorder. Results indicated that in comparison to youth with GAD, SoP, or SAD, youth with OCD were found to have poorer emotion regulation skills, as well as greater oppositionality, cognitive problems/inattention, and parent impairment associated with the disorder. The findings suggest that there are unique characteristics of OCD that may differentiate this disorder from other ADs in youth. Potential clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Health,Finances, Religious Involvement,and Life Satisfaction of Older Adults

ABSTRACT

This study examines the patterns and relationships between twelve independent variables and the expressed subjective well-being of older adults within that classic community setting of the Lynds' “Middletown.” The twelve variables include measures of church attendance, religious activity, religious conservatism/liberalism, subjective health status, social participation, importance of leisure, participation in physical activity, age, sex, marital status, and level of education.     

Respect and the Confucian concept of Li (ritual propriety)

ABSTRACT

This paper specifically deals with the relation between respect and li禮in the Confucian context. Li has both negative and positive sources. On the positive level, ritual propriety enables one to express internal moral and religious feelings, especially respect, reverence and humility. Furthermore, this work investigates into the relevant feelings and acts of respect and ritual propriety, as well as meaningful critiques of ritual, in an attempt to clarify the genuine expression of ritual propriety that helps to actualize human inner moral and religious approaches.