Thought-action fusion and thought suppression in obsessive-compulsive disorder

To examine the significance of thought-action fusion (TAF) and thought supp ression tendencies, the present study obtained pre- and post-treatment ques tionnaire data on these constructs in a sample of OCD patients (n=24) and n on-OCD anxiety patients (n=20). Results indicate that TAF and suppression a re correlated with severity of psychopathology. Yet, the associations betwe en TAF and psychopathology are not typical for OCD, but do also occur in ot her anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder , and social phobia). As well, mean scores on the TAF and thought suppressi on measures dropped significantly from pre- to post-treatment, indicating t hat TAF and thought suppression are susceptible to change during psychother apy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.