Metacognitive Beliefs and Their Relation with Symptoms in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Introduction: Metacognitive constructs have shown promise in explaining the symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Few studies have examined the role of metacognitions in symptom dimensions of OCD, despite mounting clinical, neuropsychological and imaging evidence for the distinctiveness of these dimensions.
Methods: Metacognitions were assessed using the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) in 51 participants with DSM IV OCD and 46 healthy controls. The Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) was used to quantify symptom dimensions, along with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) for anxiety, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) for depression.
Results: Individuals with OCD differed from healthy controls on beliefs of uncontrollability and danger when depression and anxiety were controlled for. Correlations between metacognitive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions were largely similar across the OCD and healthy control groups. Hierarchical regression showed that need to control thoughts contributed to checking, cleaning and rumination symptoms; cognitive self-consciousness to symptoms of slowness; uncontrollability and danger to doubt symptoms; positive beliefs to checking symptoms.
Conclusions: Specific associations between metacognitive variables and the different symptom dimensions of OCD are evident, however, severity of anxiety and depression also contribute to these associations.
Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.