Objectives: Unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) are sudden, repetitive, ego-dystonic cognitions commonly observed across psychological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders (EDs). Despite disorder-specific content, their shared features - such as intrusiveness and suppression urges - suggest a transdiagnostic cognitive function. Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), as deep cognitive structures, may shape how individuals interpret and respond to UITs, thereby influencing symptom severity. While some EMSs broadly relate to psychopathology, others appear disorder-specific. However, studies jointly examining UITs and EMSs across OCD and EDs within the same sample remain scarce. This study aims to explore the transdiagnostic and disorder-specific roles of UITs and EMSs in relation to OCD and ED symptoms by analyzing their shared and distinct associations in a non-clinical sample.
Methods: A total of 364 university students (270 females, 94 males) completed self-report measures assessing UITs related to EDs and OCD, EMSs, and ED/OCD symptomatology. Path analysis was conducted in Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) to test the theoretical model.
Results: EMS domains were differentially associated with UITs and symptom severity in OCD and EDs. Other-Directedness predicted OBQ (β=0.32) and indirectly OCI-R (β=0.06). Impaired Autonomy was linked to both OBQ (β=0.23) and EDITs (β=0.48), while Impaired Limits was associated only with OCI-R (β=0.18). OBQ predicted OCI-R (β=0.20) and EDITs predicted both EDE-Q (β=0.65) and OBQ (β=0.17).
Conclusions: UITs and specific schema domains may jointly contribute to EDs and OCD symptoms, suggesting targets for early intervention in subclinical populations.
Unwanted intrusive thoughts early maladaptive schemas transdiagnostic obsessive-compulsive disorder eating disorders
This study was approved by the Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision no. 2019-243, date: 06.03.2019). All subjects gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (2013).
The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Akdeniz University
Birincil Dil | İngilizce |
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Konular | Psikiyatri |
Bölüm | Original Article |
Yazarlar | |
Erken Görünüm Tarihi | 31 Temmuz 2025 |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 1 Mayıs 2025 |
Kabul Tarihi | 28 Temmuz 2025 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2025 EARLY ONLINE |