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Attachment in OCD: A meta-analysis

Van Leeuwen, WA; Van Wingen, GA; Luyten, P; Denys, D; Van Marle, HJF; (2020) Attachment in OCD: A meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders , 70 , Article 102187. 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102187. Green open access

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Abstract

Introduction: It has been proposed to extend the cognitive-behavioral model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with attachment theory to shed light on the affective and developmental factors underlying the disease. With a growing number of empirical studies on the subject, this meta-analysis aims to quantify a possible relationship between attachment insecurity and OCD. Methods: A systematic search was conducted for studies in adult populations of patients with OCD as well as general populations displaying symptoms of OCD. Effect sizes of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were calculated separately. Covariates of demographic variables were used in meta-regressions. Results: Sixteen studies were included. Meta-analyses showed an association of medium to large effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.69; 95% CI 0.58 – 0.80; p < 0.001) between OCD and attachment anxiety, and an association of medium effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.47; 95% CI 0.39 – 0.54; p < 0.001) between OCD and attachment avoidance. Effect sizes in OCD population and general population studies did not differ significantly. Discussion: Robust effect sizes of both attachment anxiety and avoidance in relation to OCD symptomatology corroborate an attachment-centred view of OCD. These findings furthermore suggest that integrating cognitive and attachment-based therapeutic approaches to OCD may benefit patients in which developmental or emotional factors hinder successful treatment.

Type: Article
Title: Attachment in OCD: A meta-analysis
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102187
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102187
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: obsessive compulisive disorder, attachment, psychodynamic, systematic review, meta-analysis
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10089682
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