A comparative study of thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies in patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder and normal people

Ahmad Amiri Pichakolaei; Samad Fahimi; Abbas Bakhshipour Roudsari; Ali Fakhari; Ebrahim Akbari; Masoumeh Rahimkhanli

A comparative study of thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies in patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder and normal people

Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2014 Fall;8(3):33-41.

Authors

Ahmad Amiri Pichakolaei¹, Samad Fahimi¹, Abbas Bakhshipour Roudsari², Ali Fakhari³, Ebrahim Akbari⁴, Masoumeh Rahimkhanli⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
² Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Shool of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
³ Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

PMID: 25780373
PMCID: PMC4359723

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), through a comparative study of thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies between patients with OCD, depression, and normal people.

Methods: This is a causal-comparative study. About 20 patients were selected with OCD, and 20 patients with major depression disorder (MDD), and 20 normal individuals. Participants completed a thought fusion instrument and thought control questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.

Results: RESULTS indicated that patients with OCD obtained higher scores than two other groups. Also, there was a statistical significant difference between the three groups in thought control strategies and punishment, worry, and distraction subscales.

Conclusion: Therefore, the results of the present study supported the metacognitive model of obsessive and showed thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies can be effective in onset and continuity of OCD.

Keywords: Major Depression Disorder; Metacognition; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Thought Control Strategies; Thought Fusion Beliefs.