The Relationship between Mindfulness and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in a Community Sample

Background Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex, heterogeneous condition which can result in many psychological, behavioural and emotional difficulties, negatively impacting on quality of life. Current recommended treatments are not well tolerated and/or have limited success, for some service users. Therefore, other therapeutic options have been explored. Although the burgeoning experimental and clinical research has demonstrated promising outcomes for mindfulness-based interventions, a relationship between mindfulness and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, has yet to be established. Method The relationship between mindfulness and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms was investigated in a community sample (N = 164) using an internet-based survey containing self-report measures of mindfulness and OCD. Participants were recruited through word of mouth, web-site research pages, and snowball sampling. The potential roles of age, prior mindfulness experience, anxiety and depression were also investigated. Results A significant negative relationship was found between mindfulness and OC symptoms. Anxiety and depression were positively and significantly associated with OC symptoms, and were found to mediate the relationship between mindfulness and OC symptoms. A significant negative relationship was found between age and OC symptoms. Age was found to be significantly positively associated with mindfulness. A non-judging approach to inner experiences demonstrated the greatest negative association with OC symptoms, compared with other facets of mindfulness. The mindfulness facet of observing made a small positive predictive contribution towards OC scores, in a mindfulness multi-facet – OC symptom regression model. Conclusions The results from this study offer support for mindfulness-based interventions for OCD. Although most mindfulness facets were associated with reduced OC symptoms, observing was associated with increased OC symptom level. Clinicians using mindfulness-based OCD treatments should therefore be aware of, and review the suitability of the specific mindfulness components contained within any mindfulness-based intervention programme.