The role of life events in the cognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Although researchers have not been able to identify a specific trigger for the onset of OCD (Rasmussen & Tsuang, 1986), it has been noted that it may develop gradually or emerge in association with a specific life event (Clark, 2004). Negative life events (illness, bereavement, moving, etc.) predict both the frequency of OCD symptoms and the level of distress associated with them (Coles et al., 2008). Significant developmental changes such as pregnancy or childbirth, complications during and after birth, prenatal losses, family size, and parenting styles (overprotective, dismissive, neglectful, and emotionally distant, etc.) (Brander et al., 2016) have been suggested as potential predisposing risk factors for OCD. Stressful life events (McKeon et al., 1984; Brander et al., 2016) are also considered important in the development of OCD. For example, a study of a clinical sample with a diagnosis of OCD compared two groups, one of whom reported a non-traumatic stressful life event prior to the onset of OCD, and the other who did not. The results of this study suggest that the two groups exhibit different clinical presentations. Individuals who reported onset of OCD after a stressful life event had a later onset of the disorder, fewer complications during childbirth, a lower family history of OCD, and fewer contamination/cleaning symptoms. The most commonly reported types of events were family/social relationships, health, education, and work problems, respectively.