Patterns of reassurance seeking and reassurance-related behaviours in OCD and anxiety disorders
O Kobori, PM Salkovskis - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2013 - cambridge.org
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2013•cambridge.org
Background: Reassurance seeking is particularly prominent in obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD) and may be important in OCD maintenance. Aims: This study used a new
self-report questionnaire to measure the range of manifestations of reassurance-seeking
behaviours, describing their sources from which they seek, frequency, process (how they
seek), and consequences (as opposed to triggers and motivations). This study also attempts
to identify the degree to which reassurance is specific to OCD as opposed to panic disorder …
disorder (OCD) and may be important in OCD maintenance. Aims: This study used a new
self-report questionnaire to measure the range of manifestations of reassurance-seeking
behaviours, describing their sources from which they seek, frequency, process (how they
seek), and consequences (as opposed to triggers and motivations). This study also attempts
to identify the degree to which reassurance is specific to OCD as opposed to panic disorder …
Background
Reassurance seeking is particularly prominent in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and may be important in OCD maintenance.
Aims
This study used a new self-report questionnaire to measure the range of manifestations of reassurance-seeking behaviours, describing their sources from which they seek, frequency, process (how they seek), and consequences (as opposed to triggers and motivations). This study also attempts to identify the degree to which reassurance is specific to OCD as opposed to panic disorder.
Method
Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire (ReSQ) was administered to 153 individuals with OCD, 50 individuals with panic disorder with/without agoraphobia, and 52 healthy controls. The reliability and validity of the measure was evaluated and found to be satisfactory.
Results
Reassurance seeking was found to be more frequent in both anxiety disorders relative to healthy controls. Individuals diagnosed with OCD were found to seek reassurance more intensely and carefully, and were more likely to employ “self-reassurance” than the other two groups.
Conclusions
Further investigation of reassurance will enable better understanding of its role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders in general and OCD in particular.
Cambridge University Press