Role of insight and self-efficacy in persons with obsessive–Compulsive disorder

Objectives: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is estimated to be the 10th leading cause of disability in the world with a point prevalence of OCD at 3.3%. The present study was aimed at understanding the role of insight and self-efficacy in OCD and the relationship between these variables with OCD severity. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional correlational study. The sample consisted of 100 males and females with a diagnosis of OCD. The variables were measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) Symptom Checklist, Y-BOCS II, Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: The study revealed that a large portion of the patients fell in the “Severe”' range on Y-BOCS. Females reported a higher percentage of contamination and ordering obsessions as compared to males. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the patients scored “Average” on self-efficacy results. A positive correlation between OCD severity and insight was found. Conclusion: Findings have important implications in clinical settings and can be used in the development of more focused, brief intervention strategies based on insight and self-efficacy. The primary limitation of the study was that data were obtained in a tertiary care hospital from an urban setting.