Author(s)

Olga Ines Luppino^1*, Katia Tenore¹, Francesco Mancini^1,2, Barbara Basile¹

¹Association of Cognitive Psychology, School of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Rome, Italy.
²Marconi University, Rome, Italy.

The present work is the first of a trilogy of articles whose purpose, as a whole, is to present a theoretical conceptualization of OCD functioning, which results from the integration between the Cognitive Therapy model, as proposed by Mancini (2018), and the Schema Therapy Mode model. In particular, this first paper aims to synthetically present the cognitive model of OCD functioning. According to the frame offered by Mancini, we will provide some evidence demonstrating the central role of deontological guilt and disgust as proximal psychological determinants in the genesis and maintenance of obsessive symptoms. The theoretical assumptions and the dynamics of the recursive processes at the basis of the maintenance of OCD will be clarified through a clinical exemplification and the clinical intervention goals will be presented. In order to plan an intervention on the experiences representing the historical vulnerability of OCD, the work also aims to present the important role played by particular kinds of early experiences in sensitizing to deontological guilt and disgust. To summarize, the current work presents the theoretical bases of a cognitive OCD conceptualization, in terms of goals and beliefs that are the drivers of obsessive behaviors. This introduction is preparatory to our proposal of integration between the cognitive model and the Schema Therapy Mode model that will be developed in the next two articles.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Deontological Guilt, Disgust, Cognitive Therapy

Luppino, O. , Tenore, K. , Mancini, F. and Basile, B. (2018) A Theoretical Integration of Schema Therapy and Cognitive Therapy in OCD Treatment: Goals and Beliefs of the Obsessive Mind (Part I). Psychology, 9, 2261-2277. doi: 10.4236/psych.2018.99129.