Overlapping features between social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum in a clinical sample and in healthy controls: toward an integrative model

Carpita, Barbara; Muti, Dario; Petrücci, Aldo; Romeo, Francesca; Gesi, Camilla; Marazziti, Donatella; Carmassi, Claudia; Dell’Osso, Liliana

doi:10.1017/s109285291900138x

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(80 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…5,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Females with ASD frequently show higher levels of social anxiety: a condition, intriguingly, that is often comorbid with FED and that is associated with an impairment of the social brain and with a higher prevalence amongst females. 34,35,[114][115][116][117][118][119][120] Moreover, the pattern of narrow interests and repetitive behaviors amongst females with ASD seems to be different from that typically reported amongst males, featuring more socially accepted topics such as spending time with animals, reading fictions, or dietary habits. 5,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] In this conceptual framework, it would be possible that, as stated by Westwood et al 29,30 the evaluation of autistic traits amongst FED patients would be underestimated by psychometric questionnaires, often tailored on the typical male presentations of ASD.…”

Section: Rethinking Fed: a Neurodevelopmental Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating disorders and autism spectrum: links and risks

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the last decades, increasing attention has been provided to socio-cultural and neurobiological factors involved in the psychopathology of feeding and eating disorders (FED), encouraging a multifactorial approach. In this framework, several authors stressed an association between FED and other kinds of psychiatric disorders from both a psychopathological and a neurobiological point of view. In particular, many promising contributions are focusing on the possible link between FED and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Growing interest about this association rose from the frequently reported evidence of ASD-like traits amongst FED patients and abnormal eating behaviors amongst patients with ASD. This narrative review overview aims to summarize the most relevant findings about the overlap between different kinds of FED and the autism spectrum, taking into account the most recent hypotheses about the psychopathology of both these conditions. While most of the studies focused on anorexia nervosa, both ASD and autistic traits seem to be detectable also in other kinds of FED. In addition, the recently increased interest toward a dimensional approach to psychopathology led to progressively broadening the concept of ASD, focusing on its subthreshold and gender-specific manifestations and on its link with other psychiatric conditions, including FED. Globally the studies summarized here provide further support to theoretical models featuring a neurodevelopmental approach for mental disorders. In particular, FED have been conceptualized as a possible psychopathological trajectory of a neurodevelopmental alteration, toward which female gender would act as one of many predisposing factors.

show abstract

Section: Rethinking Fed: a Neurodevelopmental Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating disorders and autism spectrum: links and risks

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is consistent with Assunção et al (2012), who found that dysthymia was associated with comorbid SP in OCD. In addition, characteristics that are common in OCD and in SP, such as interpersonal sensitivity and repetitive negative thinking, frequently occur in depressed patients (Carpita et al, 2019). Perhaps the presence of depressive symptoms in OCD patients with comorbid SP represents an indicator of clinical severity, as SP in OCD is associated with a more malignant course of the disorder, complicated with dysphoria, social fears, and avoidance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This line of research is based on the notion that obsessive thoughts in OCD tap into sensitive aspects of the self, thus providing evidence supporting insecure self‐views (Guidano & Liotti, 1983). It was recently suggested that interpersonal sensitivity and obsessive self‐doubts might represent a shared core cognitive feature of both OC and SP symptoms (Carpita et al, 2019). Perhaps a fragile self‐perception constitutes a shared vulnerability factor in the two disorders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The correlates of social phobia in OCD: Findings from a large clinical sample

Tibi

Asher

Oppen

et al. 2021

British J Clinic Psychol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder, often complicated with comorbidities. Social phobia (SP) is the most frequent co‐occurring anxiety disorder in OCD, associated with increased clinical severity. However, no study had examined the relevance of interpersonal processes in this comorbidity, which are at the core of SP. This study characterized the clinical (i.e., symptom profile, age of onset, chronicity, and comorbidity), vulnerability (i.e., childhood trauma, negative life events), and interpersonal (attachment style, expressed emotion, and social support) correlates of comorbid SP in a large sample of OCD patients. Methods We analysed the data of 382 OCD patients participating in the Netherlands Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Association (NOCDA) study. We examined the correlates of SP in OCD using self‐report questionnaires and structured clinical interviews. In addition, data of 312 non‐OCD SP patients were drawn from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), to compare the age of onset of SP between groups. Descriptive univariate analyses were followed by backward stepwise logistic regression analyses. Results Social phobia was present among approximately 20% of OCD patients. Social phobia in OCD was associated with increased depression severity and decreased ratings of secure attachment style. Among OCD patients, SP had a significantly earlier age onset as compared to SP in non‐OCD patients. Conclusion Social phobia in OCD might render a vulnerable clinical picture, characterized with early onset of SP symptoms, insecure attachment style, and increased depressive symptoms. Future studies should use prospective designs to better understand the nature of comorbid SP in OCD. Practitioner points Approximately one fifth of OCD patients were diagnosed with comorbid social phobia in a large representative clinical sample. OCD patients with comorbid social phobia presented with a vulnerable clinical picture, characterized with increased depression severity and decreased ratings of secure attachment style. Social phobia in OCD was associated with an earlier AOO as compared to the AOO of social phobia without OCD. The findings are limited by a cross‐sectional design; thus, causality could not be assessed. Research is needed to further examine the mechanisms of comorbid social phobia in OCD.

show abstract

“…In this study we sought to validate the OBS-SV questionnaire in a clinical population of subjects with OCS, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and in healthy controls (HC). In particular, considering the reported presence of sub-threshold OCD traits in subjects with SAD and the overlapping features between OCD and SAD spectra, the SAD group was recruited as a potential intermediate group for OCD traits between OCD patients and HC (Carpita et al, 2020). We chose to recruit this kind of sample, with SAD subjects as an intermediate group, guided by evidences from numerous research that showed a substantial correlation between SAD and OCD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the short version of the obsessive compulsive spectrum questionnaire

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AimIn the recent years, a rising amount of research has stressed the importance of a dimensional perspective on mental disorders. In particular, the conceptualization of an obsessive–compulsive spectrum appears to be in line with the very first descriptions of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder and has been partially acknowledged by the inclusion of the “OCD-spectrum related syndromes and disorders” section in the DSM-5. The goal of the current study is to ascertain the psychometric characteristics of the Obsessive–Compulsive Spectrum–Short Version (OBS-SV), a novel questionnaire designed to measure the complete range of obsessive–compulsive symptoms, from severe full blown to subthreshold ones.MethodsForty three subjects with a clinical diagnosis of OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); 42 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 60 individuals without current or lifetime mental disorders (HC) were recruited from the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Pisa. Subjects were assessed with the SCID-5, the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the OBS-SV.ResultsOBS-SV showed strong test–retest reliability for both the total and the domains scores, as well as a high level of internal consistency. The Pearson’s coefficients for the OBS-SV domain scores ranged from 0.771 to 0.943, and they were positively and strongly linked with one another (p < 0.001). The OBS-SV total score had a strong correlation with each of the OBS-SV domain scores. All correlation coefficients between OBS-SV and additional measures of OCS were observed to be strong, significant and positive. Both OBS-SV domain and overall score differences between diagnostic groups were found to be statistically significant. From HCs, to the SAD, up to the OC group, which had the highest values, the OBS-SV total score grew dramatically and progressively.ConclusionThe OBS-SV demonstrated significant convergent validity with other dimensional OCD measures, excellent internal consistency, and test–retest reliability. Across the three diagnostic categories, the questionnaire functioned differently, with a rising score gradient from healthy controls through SAD patients to OCD subjects.

show abstract

Overlapping features between social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum in a clinical sample and in healthy controls: toward an integrative model

Cited by 8 publications

References 66 publications

Eating disorders and autism spectrum: links and risks

Eating disorders and autism spectrum: links and risks

The correlates of social phobia in OCD: Findings from a large clinical sample

Validation of the short version of the obsessive compulsive spectrum questionnaire

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About