The effect of trauma on the severity of obsessive-compulsive spectrum symptoms: A meta-analysis

It is important to consider trauma-related sequelae in the etiology and maintenance of psychopathology, namely understudied disorders such as those belonging to the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum (OCS). This meta-analysis examined the association between past trauma exposure and current severity of OCS disorder symptoms. A systematic literature search was conducted with 24 (N=4557) articles meeting inclusion criteria. A significant overall effect size was obtained (r=0.20), indicating that exposure to past trauma is associated with a higher severity of OCS symptoms, with a stronger association for females (β=0.01, p