To examine differences in childhood trauma (CT) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) between patients with OCD and healthy controls, and to test whether IU mediates the relationship between CT and OCS severity.
Approach:
Participants: 82 patients with OCD and 82 healthy controls matched on age and sex.
Assessments: CT was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-33 (CTQ-33), IU using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale–Short Form (IUS-12), and OCS severity using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).
Statistical Analysis: Path analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships among CT, IU, and OCS severity.
Key Findings:
Patients with OCD had significantly higher scores on all CTQ-33 subscales and IU measures compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001).
Physical abuse was the only CT dimension significantly associated with total Y-BOCS scores in the OCD group (r = 0.248, p = 0.025).
IU was positively associated with symptom severity (IUS-12 total: r = 0.346, p = 0.001), and path analysis indicated that IU partially mediated the relationship between CT and OCS severity.
Interpretation:
The study indicates that CT is elevated in OCD patients, and IU may serve as a cognitive mechanism linking CT to OCS severity.
Limitations:
The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences.
The sample size may restrict the generalizability of the findings.
The reliance on self-report measures may introduce bias.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the importance of assessing IU in the context of OCD.
