The relationships between obsessive beliefs, beliefs about losing control, emotion regulation and reassurance seeking behaviour with obsessive compulsive symptoms

The aim of this study was to investigate some of the cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors together that might affect the deveoplment and maintenance of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the relationships between emotion regulation, obsessive beliefs, beliefs about losing control, and reassurance seeking behavior with OCD symptoms were examined. In the first part of the study the Beliefs About Losing Control Scale was adapted into Turkish, and the psychometric properties of the scale were tested in individuals aged between 17-20 (N = 386). The validity and reliability of this scale were found to be acceptable in Turkish culture. In the second part of the study, the relationships between emotion regulation, obsessive beliefs, beliefs about losing control, reassurance seeking behaviors and OCD symptoms were analyzed in individuals aged between 17-20 (N=450). This study was analyzed with correlation analyses, hierarchical regression analysis, mediation analysis and structural equation modelling. When depression, anxiety, stress and COVID-19 distress were controlled obsessive beliefs and beliefs about losing control mediated the relationship between emotion suppression and obsessive compulsive symptoms. According to the results of structural equation modelling, emotion suppression predicted obsessive beliefs, obsessive beliefs predicted positively beliefs about losing control, and increased beliefs about losing control predicted obsessive compulsive symptom and increased obsessive compulsive symptom predicted positively reassurance seeking. These findings were discussed in the context of the literature along with suggestions for future studies.