Obsessive-compulsive disorder across developmental trajectory: cognitive processing of threat in children, adolescents and adults
Abstract
Background While the cognitive theory of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most widely accepted accounts of the maintenance of the disorder in adults, no study to date has systematically evaluated the theory across children, adolescence and adults with OCD. Method This paper investigated developmental differences in the cognitive processing of threat in a sample of children, adolescents and adults with OCD. Using an idiographic assessment approach, as well as self-report questionnaires, this study evaluated cognitive appraisals of responsibility, probability, severity, thought-action fusion (TAF), thought-suppression, self-doubt and cognitive control. It was hypothesised that there would be age related differences in reported responsibility for harm, probability of harm, severity of harm, thought suppression, TAF, self-doubt and cognitive control. Results Results of this study demonstrated that children with OCD reported experiencing fewer intrusive thoughts, which were less distressing and less uncontrollable than those experienced by adolescents and adults with OCD. Furthermore, responsibility attitudes, probability biases and thought suppression strategies were higher in adolescents and adults with OCD. Cognitive processes of TAF, perceived severity of harm, self-doubt and cognitive control were found to be comparable across age groups. Conclusions These results suggest that the current cognitive theory of OCD needs to address developmental differences in t…
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The WBSI modified version used with children aged 6 to 17 years yielded comparable internal consistency estimates to the original WBSI (Cronbach's alpha of 0.93 for children and 0.91 for adolescents).
“Farrell and Barrett (2006) used a modified version of the WBSI with children aged 6 to 17 years, yielding comparable internal consistency estimates to the original WBSI (Cronbach's alpha of 0.93 for children and 0.91 for adolescents).”
From The efficacy of a group-based, disorder-specific treatment program for childhood GAD - A randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as Farrell & Barrett, 2006
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References 58 · Cited by 82
- Authors
- Farrell, L., & Barrett, P.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Farrell, Lara
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-02
- Volume
- 97
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 95-114
- ISSN
- 0007-1269 (ISSN-L)
- 2044-8295
- OpenAlex
- W2108754927
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 3.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, threat processing, developmental differences, children, adolescents, adults, intrusive thoughts, thought-action fusion, thought suppression, self-doubt, cognitive control, perceived harm, attribution of responsibility, harm severity
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Arousal, Awareness, Child, Cognition Disorders, Fear, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Personality Assessment, Psychotherapy, Group, Surveys and Questionnaires, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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