Attachment Style as a Partial Mediator Between Self-Reported Obsessive-Compulsive and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression are unclear; some individuals’ depression and low mood improve once OCD symptoms reduce, while others’ depressive symptoms persist. The present study sought to replicate findings that identified a moderating role of attachment style on the relationship between OCD and depression. The present study also tested a novel conceptualisation via which chronic mental distress associated with OCD may be associated with greater insecure attachment, making individuals vulnerable to persisting depressive symptoms . Participants who self-reported a formal or self-identified OCD diagnosis completed validated psychometric measures. Moderation and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the role of self-reported attachment style scores in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive (OC) and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Contrary to findings from clinical samples, attachment style scores did not significantly moderate the relationship between OC and depressive symptoms. There was a significant indirect effect of attachment style scores on the relationship between OC and depressive symptoms, with greater OC symptom severity being associated with greater insecure attachment scores and greater depressive symptoms. Further research is warranted to better understand how attachment style-related therapies or interventions may benefit individuals with OCD by safeguarding or improving attachment security and, by extension, alleviating depressive symptoms.