Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Scrupulosity and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Cognitive Perspective in Islamic Sources

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A moral/religious subtype of obsessive compulsive disorder has been termed as scrupulosity by mental health professionals. Since ultimate feared consequence in scrupulous individuals is religious or moral in nature, it also presents interesting and difficult issue for religious authorities. This article focuses on various aspects of scrupulosity that have until now been poorly conceptualized in Islamic world and provides a conceptual cognitive framework and analysis of scrupulosity according to Islamic sources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramowitz, J. S., Huppert, J. D., Cohen, A. B., Tolin, D. F., & Cahill, S. P. (2002). Religious obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample: The Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 825–838.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S., Lynam, D., & Kalsy, S. (2003). Is thought–action fusion specific to obsessive–compulsive disorder?: A mediating role of negative affect. Behavior Research and Therapy, 41, 1069–1079.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed b. Hanbel. (n.d.). El-Müsned, el-Fethu’r-Rabbani Tertibi, Ensar Yayıncılık.

  • Al-Bukhari. (n.d.). Sahih Bukhari. (M.M. Khan, Trans.). http://www.islamhouse.com/p/70510.

  • Altın, M., & Gençöz, T. (2011). How does thought-action fusion relate to responsibility attitudes and thought suppression to aggravate the obsessive-compulsive symptoms? Behavior Cognitive Psychotherapy, 39, 99–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2005). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV) (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antony, M., Purdon, C., Huta, V., & Swinson, R. (1998). Dimensions of perfectionism across the anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 1143–1154.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arkan, A. (2006). Ibn Rusd Psikolojisi. Istanbul: Iz Yayıncılık.

    Google Scholar 

  • Besiroglu, L., & Ağargün, M. Y. (2006). The correlates of healthcare seeking behavior in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A multidimensional approach]. Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi, 17, 213–222.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Besiroglu, L., Çetinkaya, N., Selvi, Y., & Atli, A. (2011). Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on thought-action fusion, metacognitions, and thought suppression in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 52, 556–561.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bloch, M. H., Landeros-Weisenberger, A., Rosario, M. C., Pittenger, C., & Leckman, J. F. (2008). Meta-analysis of the symptom structure of obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 1532–1542.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boysan, M., Besiroglu, L., Çetinkaya, N., Atli, A., & Aydin, A. (2010). The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44. Archives of Neuropsychiatry, 47, 216–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D. A., & Rhyno, S. (2005). Unwanted intrusive thoughts in nonclinical individuals: Implications for clinical disorders. In D. A. Clark (Ed.), Intrusive thoughts in clinical disorders: Theory, research and treatment (pp. 1–29). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. B., & Rozin, P. (2001). Religion and the morality of mentality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 697–710.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, D., & Huppert, J. D. (2010). Scrupulosity: A unique type obsessive compulsive disorder. Current Psychiatry Reports, 12, 282–289.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, D., Witztum, E., & Pisante, J. (1987). Scrupulosity: Religious attitudes and clinical presentations. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 60, 29–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim (A. Siddiqui Trans.). http://www.islamhouse.com/p/70896.

  • Nelson, E. A., Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S. P., & Deacon, B. J. (2006). Scrupulosity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relationship to clinical and cognitive phenomena. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 1071–1086.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nursi, B. N. (2002). The words. Istanbul: Sözler Neşriyat.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nursi, B. N. (2007). The letters. New Jersey: The Light, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group. (1997). Cognitive assessment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 667–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okasha, A., Saad, A., Khalil, A. H., el Dawla, A. S., & Yehia, N. (1994). Phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A transcultural study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 35, 191–197.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Purdon, C., & Clark, D.A. (2005). Overcoming obsessive thoughts: how to gain control of your OCD. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S. J. (1997). A cognitive theory of obsessions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 793–802.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S., & De Silva, P. (1978). Abnormal and normal obsessions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 16, 233–248.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, F. (1952). Avicenna’s Psychology, An English Translation of Kitāb al-Najāt, Book II, Chapter VI with historico-philosophical notes and textual, improvements on the Cairo edition (pp. 77–83) (F. Rahman, Trans.). London: Oxford University Press.

  • Rassin, E., & Koster, E. (2003). The correlation between thought-action fusion and religiosity in a normal sample. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 361–368.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salkovskis, P. M. (1985). Obsessional-compulsive problems: A cognitive-behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 571–583.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shafran, R., Thordarson, D. S., & Rachman, S. (1996). Thought–action fusion in obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 10, 379–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siev, J., Chambless, D. L., & Huppert, J. D. (2010). Moral thought–action fusion and OCD symptoms: The moderating role of religious affiliation. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 309–312.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siev, J., & Cohen, A. B. (2007). Is thought–action fusion related to religiosity? Differences between Christians and Jews. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 829–837.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Şukran, V. (2005). Islam in modern Turkey: An intellectual biography of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. State University of New York: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tek, C., & Ulug, B. (2001). Religiosity and religious obsessions in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Research, 104, 99–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wegner, D. M., Schneider, D. J., Carter, S. R., & White, T. L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology, 53, 5–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yorulmaz, O., Gençöz, T., & Woody, S. (2010). Vulnerability factors in OCD symptoms: Cross-cultural comparisons between Turkish and Canadian samples. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 17, 110–121.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lutfullah Besiroglu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Besiroglu, L., Karaca, S. & Keskin, I. Scrupulosity and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Cognitive Perspective in Islamic Sources. J Relig Health 53, 3–12 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9588-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9588-7

Keywords

Navigation