Trauma type and obsessive-compulsive symptom domains: The unique relationship between indirectly experienced trauma and just right symptoms

Abstract Trauma exposure may complicate the treatment of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Existing research examining the relationship between exposure to traumatic events and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms is incomplete in its examination of trauma as a binary construct (exposed versus not exposed) impacting OC symptom dimensions or a continuous construct (number of events) impacting OC symptom severity, and no consideration of differences between directly and indirectly experienced events; no study to date has examined the relationship between specific trauma types and OC symptom dimensions. Understanding relationships between trauma types and OC symptom dimensions could determine if more extensive assessment is needed, inform understanding of the functional intersection with symptoms, and improve treatment outcomes. A sample of 122 undergraduates with clinically elevated OC symptoms completed self-report measures of OC symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and trauma history, and exploratory point-biserial partial correlations and ordinary least squares regressions were conducted, controlling for PTSS. Notably, indirectly experienced traumas were most strongly related to OC just right symptoms, whereas directly experienced traumas were inconsistently related to OC symptoms across domains. Findings may reflect over-inflated responsibility that is common in individuals with OCD and highlight the need to validate and appropriately address indirectly experienced traumas in treatment.