Exploring Obsessive Thinking and Compulsive Behaviour in the Context of Real and Imagined Relationships

The thesis consists of two papers. Paper one describes the results of a scoping review systematically examining and summarising the evidence base on relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD) whilst also identifying current gaps in knowledge and making recommendations for future research. Relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition where sufferers experience obsessions and compulsions in the context of close personal relationships. This review focused on exploring the evidence base of ROCD symptoms within the context of intimate relationships. Twenty-eight studies were reviewed. There was evidence to suggest ROCD is associated with an anxious attachment style, poor general mental health, perfectionism, and the tendency to catastrophise in relationships. There was also evidence to suggest that an app-based cognitive intervention was effective in reducing ROCD symptoms in non-clinical samples. It is recommended that researchers recruit clinical populations and use more robust research methods when investigating ROCD.
Section two describes a study on a condition named limerence. Limerence refers to an obsessional state concerning another person (termed a limerent object; LO). This was a combined study using questionnaires and experience sampling (where participants were signalled eight times a day for 7-days) to explore the association between limerence severity, attachment styles, limerence-specific obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and explore the frequency and characteristics of mind-wandering and how it relates to mood over time. The findings suggest that although limerent individuals appear to have anxious attachment styles towards their LOs, they can form secure attachments in romantic relationships. Furthermore, it is proposed that limerence could potentially be treated through an OCD framework. Finally, limerent individuals appear to spend a large proportion of time mind-wandering about their LO, which appears to have a negative impact on mood, suggesting that frequency of mind-wandering about an LO may be a beneficial target for intervention.