The experience of OCD-related intrusive thoughts in African and European Americans

Abstract

Cognitive theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) emphasize the role of maladaptive appraisals and control strategies in distinguishing normal from clinically significant intrusive thoughts. Since the majority of studies testing these models utilize predominantly European American samples, the racial and ethnic generalizability of these theories is largely unknown. In the current study, African Americans (n=40) and European Americans (n=54) were interviewed about their experiences of unwanted intrusive thoughts (e.g., frequency, interference, importance, and difficulty dismissing the intrusion), as well as their appraisals and the control strategies employed to manage distress associated with their most distressing intrusive thought. Participants also completed a self-report measure of OC symptoms. Results indicated that African American and European American participants reported similar experiences of OCD-related intrusions, appraisals, and control strategies; however, the groups showed different patterns of relations between intrusion appraisals, control strategies, and self-reported OC symptoms. These findings suggest that race-associated factors may play a role in the comparative experience of OCD-related phenomena between African American and European American individuals. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed within cognitive models of OCD.