Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Cross-sectional and prospective relations between dysfunctional cognitive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms during late childhood and early adolescence: a test of two aetiological models

Barcaccia, Barbara ; Cervin, Matti LU ; Borrelli, Davide Fausto ; Mignarri, Giulia ; Mancini, Francesco and Pozza, Andrea (2025) In Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Abstract
Background
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) often emerge during childhood and adolescence, and two aetiological models have been proposed. According to the first model, maladaptive cognitive beliefs facilitate the transformation of transient intrusive thoughts into OCS. The second model suggests that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs develop in response to increased levels of OCS. Few studies have contrasted these models, and no study has used a prospective design.

Methods
In this study, dysfunctional cognitive beliefs, OCS, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were measured repeatedly on three occasions during a year in a sample of 950 late-childhood children and early adolescents (Mage = 10.80 [SD = 1.23], 51%... (More)
Background
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) often emerge during childhood and adolescence, and two aetiological models have been proposed. According to the first model, maladaptive cognitive beliefs facilitate the transformation of transient intrusive thoughts into OCS. The second model suggests that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs develop in response to increased levels of OCS. Few studies have contrasted these models, and no study has used a prospective design.

Methods
In this study, dysfunctional cognitive beliefs, OCS, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were measured repeatedly on three occasions during a year in a sample of 950 late-childhood children and early adolescents (Mage = 10.80 [SD = 1.23], 51% female). Network analysis was used to examine cross-sectional between-person associations, and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to examine prospective within-person associations.

Results
Cross-sectional network analyses indicated that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs were uniquely linked to OCS and significantly more strongly linked to these symptoms than to depression and anxiety. Prospective data did not support either model, but OCS and anxiety symptoms uniquely predicted each other. Sex-stratified analyses showed that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs predicted all types of symptoms at later time points in boys, while in girls, OCS and anxiety symptoms predicted each other. Assumptions of the two aetiological models of OCD were supported by cross-sectional but not prospective data.

Conclusions
During late childhood and early adolescence dysfunctional cognitive beliefs may play a more prominent role in the emergence of mental health symptoms in boys than in girls, but more prospective studies are needed.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:41220242
  • scopus:105021522352
ISSN
0021-9630
DOI
10.1111/jcpp.70077
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
220c04a6-4eb4-44f7-b5ba-14ded63f5ef2
date added to LUP
2025-11-26 20:27:14
date last changed
2025-11-27 08:15:25
@article{220c04a6-4eb4-44f7-b5ba-14ded63f5ef2,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) often emerge during childhood and adolescence, and two aetiological models have been proposed. According to the first model, maladaptive cognitive beliefs facilitate the transformation of transient intrusive thoughts into OCS. The second model suggests that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs develop in response to increased levels of OCS. Few studies have contrasted these models, and no study has used a prospective design.<br/><br/>Methods<br/>In this study, dysfunctional cognitive beliefs, OCS, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were measured repeatedly on three occasions during a year in a sample of 950 late-childhood children and early adolescents (Mage = 10.80 [SD = 1.23], 51% female). Network analysis was used to examine cross-sectional between-person associations, and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to examine prospective within-person associations.<br/><br/>Results<br/>Cross-sectional network analyses indicated that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs were uniquely linked to OCS and significantly more strongly linked to these symptoms than to depression and anxiety. Prospective data did not support either model, but OCS and anxiety symptoms uniquely predicted each other. Sex-stratified analyses showed that dysfunctional cognitive beliefs predicted all types of symptoms at later time points in boys, while in girls, OCS and anxiety symptoms predicted each other. Assumptions of the two aetiological models of OCD were supported by cross-sectional but not prospective data.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>During late childhood and early adolescence dysfunctional cognitive beliefs may play a more prominent role in the emergence of mental health symptoms in boys than in girls, but more prospective studies are needed.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Barcaccia, Barbara and Cervin, Matti and Borrelli, Davide Fausto and Mignarri, Giulia and Mancini, Francesco and Pozza, Andrea}},
  issn         = {{0021-9630}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Cross-sectional and prospective relations between dysfunctional cognitive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms during late childhood and early adolescence: a test of two aetiological models}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70077}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jcpp.70077}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}