TY - JOUR
T1 - Part 1-You can run but you can't hide
T2 - Intrusive thoughts on six continents
AU - Radomsky, Adam S.
AU - Alcolado, Gillian M.
AU - Abramowitz, Jonathan S.
AU - Alonso, Pino
AU - Belloch, Amparo
AU - Bouvard, Martine
AU - Clark, David A.
AU - Coles, Meredith E.
AU - Doron, Guy
AU - Fernández-Álvarez, Hector
AU - Garcia-Soriano, Gemma
AU - Ghisi, Marta
AU - Gomez, Beatriz
AU - Inozu, Mujgan
AU - Moulding, Richard
AU - Shams, Giti
AU - Sica, Claudio
AU - Simos, Gregoris
AU - Wong, Wing
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Most cognitive approaches for understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rest on the assumption that nearly everyone experiences unwanted intrusive thoughts, images and impulses from time to time. These theories argue that the intrusions themselves are not problematic, unless they are misinterpreted and/or attempts are made to control them in maladaptive and/or unrealistic ways. Early research has shown unwanted intrusions to be present in the overwhelming majority of participants assessed, although this work was limited in that it took place largely in the US, the UK and other 'westernised' or 'developed' locations. We employed the International Intrusive Thoughts Interview Schedule (IITIS) to assess the nature and prevalence of intrusions in nonclinical populations, and used it to assess (n=777) university students at 15 sites in 13 countries across 6 continents. Results demonstrated that nearly all participants (93.6%) reported experiencing at least one intrusion during the previous three months. Doubting intrusions were the most commonly reported category of intrusive thoughts; whereas, repugnant intrusions (e.g., sexual, blasphemous, etc.) were the least commonly reported by participants. These and other results are discussed in terms of an international perspective on understanding and treating OCD.
AB - Most cognitive approaches for understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rest on the assumption that nearly everyone experiences unwanted intrusive thoughts, images and impulses from time to time. These theories argue that the intrusions themselves are not problematic, unless they are misinterpreted and/or attempts are made to control them in maladaptive and/or unrealistic ways. Early research has shown unwanted intrusions to be present in the overwhelming majority of participants assessed, although this work was limited in that it took place largely in the US, the UK and other 'westernised' or 'developed' locations. We employed the International Intrusive Thoughts Interview Schedule (IITIS) to assess the nature and prevalence of intrusions in nonclinical populations, and used it to assess (n=777) university students at 15 sites in 13 countries across 6 continents. Results demonstrated that nearly all participants (93.6%) reported experiencing at least one intrusion during the previous three months. Doubting intrusions were the most commonly reported category of intrusive thoughts; whereas, repugnant intrusions (e.g., sexual, blasphemous, etc.) were the least commonly reported by participants. These and other results are discussed in terms of an international perspective on understanding and treating OCD.
KW - Assessment
KW - Cognitive theory
KW - Intrusions
KW - Intrusive thoughts
KW - Obsessions
KW - OCD
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908461439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jocrd.2013.09.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jocrd.2013.09.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84908461439
SN - 2211-3649
VL - 3
SP - 269
EP - 279
JO - Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
JF - Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
IS - 3
ER -