Anxiety Mood.  2021 Apr;17(1):19-27. 10.24986/anxmod.2021.17.1.003.

Relationships Among Experiential Avoidance, Cognitive Fusion and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Lee SW
• Choi M
• Lee SJ

• KMID: 2515728
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24986/anxmod.2021.17.1.003

Abstract

Objective
: Although cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been well supported, cognitive constructs do not entirely explain the OCD symptoms. Based on the recently applied psychological model of acceptance-commitment therapy (ACT) in OCD, this study aimed to investigate the relationships among experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, and OCD symptoms in patients with OCD.
Methods
: Seventy patients with OCD and 85 normal controls completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) for experiential avoidance, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ), and several symptom measures for OCD symptoms and depression.
Results
: AAQ-II and CFQ scores were higher in OCD patients than in normal controls, even after con-trolling for depression. Both AAQ-II and CFQ scores were significantly related to obsessing symptoms and responsibility to harm as well as unacceptable thoughts dimensions. Regression analyses showed that two variables of AAQ-II and CFQ accounted for over 25% of variances in these two symptom dimensions, with AAQ-II being the only significant predictor.
Conclusion
: These results suggest that two psychopathologies in ACT, termed, experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion are particularly important in explaining obsessing symptoms and its corresponding symptom dimensions such as unacceptable thoughts and responsibility to harm dimensions.

Keyword

Acceptance-commitment therapy; Cognitive-behavioral; Cognitive fusion; Experiential avoidance; Obsessive-compulsive symptoms