Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most prevalent disorders among members of society. It is a chronic and complex psychological condition characterised by the presence of unwanted intrusive obsessions, thoughts, images, and doubts that provoke anxiety, along with compulsive acts represented by repetitive behaviours and mental rituals that the individual performs deliberately to relieve the distress associated with those obsessions. As for fear of self, it is the individual's deep anxiety about their true identity or about what they may become in the future, particularly regarding possessing undesirable traits. The present research aimed to identify the following: Fear of self among those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The dimensions of OCD among those with the disorder. Statistically significant differences in fear of self according to the variables of sex (male/female) and age (15–20), (21–30), (31–40), (41–50). Statistically significant differences in OCD according to the variables of sex (male/female) and age (15–20), (21–30), (31–40), (41–50). The correlational relationship between fear of self and OCD. To achieve the foregoing, the researcher adopted the research scales, namely: the Fear of Self scale by Aardema et al. (2021), which consists of (27) items distributed across three domains: the corrupted self, the culpable self, and the malformed self; and, regarding OCD, the scale by Abramowitz et al. (2010), which consists of (20) items distributed across four dimensions: contamination, responsibility for harm, unacceptable thoughts, and order. The psychometric properties of the two scales were verified through face validity and construct validity, and reliability was also verified by two methods: test-retest and Cronbach's alpha. The present research has the following results: Individuals diagnosed with OCD have a fear of self. The sample has OCD. There are no differences in fear of self according to the sex variable (male – female), and no significant differences appeared with respect to age. There are no differences in OCD according to the sex variable (male – female), and no significant differences appeared with respect to age. There is a statistically significant positive correlational relationship between fear of self and OCD.
Source: Acta Innovations
Institution: University of Baghdad
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225084245