Scrupulosity disorder: an overview and introductory analysis.

Full Abstract

Scrupulosity is a psychological disorder primarily characterized by pathological guilt or obsession associated with moral or religious issues that is often accompanied by compulsive moral or religious observance and is highly distressing and maladaptive. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of scrupulosity and an original conceptualization of the disorder based on an exhaustive literature review to increase awareness of the disorder among practicing clinicians and stimulate further research. It explores the clinical features of scrupulosity, classified as cognitive, behavioral, affective, and social features, as well as the epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of the disorder. Additionally, it is suggested that scrupulosity, despite its similarity to OCD, may merit a distinctive diagnosis, particularly considering its unique constellation and severity of symptoms and its treatment refractoriness, as supported by statistical analysis.

Author information

Author/s: Miller, Chris H (CH); Hedges, Dawson W (DW);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States. CHMiller1984(-atsign-)gmail.com

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Journal of anxiety disorders (J Anxiety Disord), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Aug; vol 22 (issue 6) : pp 1042-58

Dates: Created 2008/07/11; Completed 2008/10/24; Revised 2009/08/12;

PMID: 18226490, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 8/21/2009, IMS Date: )

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