The relationship between obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and suicide risk: The role of self-disgust

Suicide is a serious global public health problem that is the second leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 15-29 and causes approximately 800,000 people to die each year. Understanding the risk factors that play role in suicide is very important for suicide prevention and intervention. Recent studies have shown that, contrary to common acceptance, obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms are associated with high suicide probability. This study aimed to examine mediating role of self-disgust in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom severity and suicide probability within the framework of interpersonal psychological suicide theory. The sample of the study consisted of 450 university students, 371 female (82.4%) and 79 male (17.6%), aged between 18 and 44 (mean = 21.91 SD= 3.19), who were reached by snowball and convenience sampling methods. Participants were administered an online questionnaire set consisting of the Dimensional Obsession Compulsion Scale, Self-Disgust Scale-Revised Form, Suicide Probability Scale, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The data obtained were analyzed by Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Analysis and Parallel Series Mediator Model Analysis (Model 81). All variables of the study have significant relationship with each other. Parallel serial mediation analysis revealed a mediating relationship of self-disgust in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom severity and suicide probability was found to be significant when depression, anxiety symptoms were controlled. The direct relationship between factors of interpersonal psychological suicide theory, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms was not significant, but parallel serial mediation relationships with self-disgust were significant. When proposed theoretical model was tested in terms of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom dimensions, only the model analyses including responsibility and unacceptable thoughts symptom dimensions were found to be significant. Findings indicate the importance role of self-disgust in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptom and suicide probability.