Predictor role of childhood traumas, metacognitive functions and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on obsessive-compulsive symptoms

The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive effect of childhood traumas, metacognitive functions and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on obsessive compulsive symptoms. It is thought that there is a relationship between childhood traumas suffered by individuals and obsessive compulsive symptoms. However, some studies have also found that there is no relationship between childhood traumas and obsessive compulsive symptoms. It is seen that dysfunctional metacognition in the literature can have an effect on obsessive compulsive symptoms. Similarly, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation is thought to have an effect on obsessive compulsive symptoms. The sample of the study consists of 286 individuals aged between 18-65 without any obsessive compulsive disorder diagnosis. The research data were collected via the internet. Vancouver Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Childhood Trauma Scale, Metacognition-30 Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale were used to collect information from the participants. The data obtained from the study were evaluated by correlation, t-test, regression analysis and reported. As a result of the findings obtained in the research, the predictive effects of childhood traumas, metacognitive functions and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on obsessive-compulsive symptoms were examined. Detailed analyzes were made between the sub-dimensions of childhood traumas and sub-dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There are low-level significant relationships between emotional abuse and physical neglect, which are sub-dimensions of childhood trauma, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A highly significant positive correlation was observed between metacognitive functions and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Similarly, there is a positive linear relationship between maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. As a result of multiple regression analyzes, it was found that emotional abuse, the need to control thrpughts, uncontrollability/danger and catastrophizing predict obsessions. Detailed analyzes among the sub-dimensions of the variables were reported and the findings were discussed in the light of the literature.