The Experience of Being Emotionally Maltreated and Self-regulatory Strategies in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: Pathways to Depressive Symptoms

The contribution of childhood emotional maltreatment to depressive symptoms has been well-established in previous research. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research examining the potential role of emotional and cognitive self-regulatory strategies used by individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder to cope with unpleasant experiences. This study aimed to investigate the effects of childhood emotional maltreatment on depressive symptoms in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 300), with a specific focus on the mediating role of self-regulatory strategies, including experiential avoidance, cognitive avoidance, and emotional suppression. Participants completed various measures, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, the Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. The results revealed that childhood emotional maltreatment had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms, while controlling for the severity of the disease. Furthermore, experiential avoidance was identified as a significant mediator, while cognitive avoidance and emotional suppression did not show any significant mediation effects. These findings suggest that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder who have experienced emotional maltreatment during childhood may employ ineffective coping mechanisms, which could potentially contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Hence, when addressing depressive symptoms in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is crucial to consider their experience of childhood maltreatment and the strategies they use in order to effectively manage their distressing encounters, illness, and associated clinical consequences.