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Sexual abuse and harsh punishment in early life are associated with more obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adulthood: An online survey

Introduction Childhood and adolescent maltreatment (CAM) is associated with many psychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it remains unclear whether the severity of OCD symptoms vary according to the type of stress encountered in early life. Method A sample of 345 participants (174 of whom had OCD) completed online measures of CAM (Child Abuse and Trauma Scale; CATS), OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised; OCI-R), anxiety, and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS). Regression analysis was used to examine associations between OCD symptoms and four subtypes of CAM: emotional abuse, neglect/home environment, punishment, and sexual abuse. Anxiety and depression were included as control variables. Results Higher levels of sexual abuse and punishment were significantly associated with more OCD symptoms irrespective of scores on measures of anxiety and depression. Emotional abuse and neglect/home environment were not significantly associated with OCD symptoms. Discussion These findings highlight the prospect of a specific role for harsh punishment and sexual abuse in the development of OCD. Future studies should examine this possibility using longitudinal designs. Health professionals should be mindful that individuals with OCD may have experienced heightened levels of CAM, especially in the domains of punishment and sexual abuse.