Family accommodation in Chinese individuals with obsessive‐compulsive disorder

Abstract

Family accommodation is a common, treatment-relevant construct related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity and treatment outcome. This initial study examined the nature, incidence, and clinical correlates of family accommodation in Chinese adults with OCD and their relative or person in a close relationship. One hundred four outpatients diagnosed with OCD completed selfreport measures of obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Additionally, the individuals with OCD and a relative completed a measure of family accommodation and impairment. Patient-reports of family accommodation were significantly correlated with OCD symptomology and severity. A multiple linear regression indicated that OCD symptomology was a significant predictor of family accommodation, but anxiety, stress, and depression were not. In addition, the current Chinese sample demonstrated greater levels of family accommodation than previous English-speaking samples. Potential explanations and implications of the high levels of reported family accommodation are discussed. Family accommodation could play a significant role in OCD development and/or maintenance in China.Future research considerations are discussed.

Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting Styles, and Family Accommodation on Patients Diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

“…In other studies, family accommodation was found to be widespread among Chinese OCD patients and was significantly positively correlated with the severity, dysfunction, anxiety, and depression of OCD, which is basically consistent with the findings of our study. 54 Other studies have shown that the more serious the family accommodation, the higher the severity of OCD symptoms and the greater the risk of withdrawal from treatment 28 and that family accommodation can be used as a predictor of the outcome of OCD treatment. 55 In addition, researchers have demonstrated the importance of assessing symptom severity in conjunction with family accommodation when evaluating OCD patient functional impairment.…”

Characteristics and predictors of family accommodation in Turkish individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder

“…Cultural values and norms affect caregiving experiences, the cultural determinants of caregiving responsibilities or the caregiving hierarchy, and the values and norms underlying the decision to provide care [ 29 ]. High FA was reported in studies using FAS-PV in Chinese society, and this result was interpreted to be related to family-centered and collectivist cultural structure [ 30 ].The most frequently observed FA behaviors in the present research were the provision of reassurance for obsessions and compulsions. Similar to the results of our study, in previous studies using the same measurement method, waiting for the affected person to complete compulsive behaviors and providing reassurance regarding OCD-related concerns were the most frequently reported specific behaviors [ 17 , 27 ].…”

“…As expected, significant positive correlation was observed in this study between FA and severity of OCD (total DOCS score), depression, anxiety, and psychological inflexibility. Inconsistent results concerning the relationship between depression and anxiety and FA have been reported in the literature [ 17 , 27 , 30 , 34 ]. In addition, severity of disease emerged as a significant predictor of FA at regression analysis.…”