Abstract

FERREIRA, Tiago et al. Perfectionism, negative repetitive thinking and obsessive-compulsive spectrum symptomatology. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2017, vol.18, n.2, pp.581-590. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/17psd180224.

Perfectionism and negative repetitive thinking have been associated with various psychiatric disorders and are therefore considered to be transdiagnostic constructs. Thus, it is important to understand their relationship with various groups of symptoms, namely obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as it may lead to a better understanding of the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of some psychiatric disorders. The objective of this study was to analyze the levels of perfectionist cognitions, negative repetitive thinking and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a sample of university students from the University of Beira Interior, and the relationship between these variables among themselves and mood states. In order to perform this study, characterized as transversal and analytical, we used a questionnaire composed of sociodemographic and mental health data and scales validated for the Portuguese population that allow us to measure mood states, levels of perfectionism, domains of perfectionism, levels of negative repetitive thinking and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. The data was collected through an online survey of the student population of the University of Beira Interior (n = 464, 338 female, mean age 22.5 ± 4.54 years), and we used non-parametric tests for the analysis. The total scores of perfectionist cognitions, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, and negative repetitive thinking showed a significant positive correlation with levels of negative affection, with domains of perfectionism, and also with each other. Thus, the transdiagnostic model of psychopathology may reveal considerable heuristic utility. In this case, perfectionism and negative repetitive thinking constitute processes capable of influencing the levels of psychiatric symptomatology, namely obsessive-compulsive, and should be targets of therapeutic intervention.

Keywords : perfectionism; repetitive negative thought; obsessive-compulsive disorder; transdiagnostic process; psychopathology.

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