A case report of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Claudia Perdighe, Francesco Mancini
In this study, we present the case of a 27-year-old man who experienced obsessive symptoms for
over ten years and then underwent treatment focused on reducing feelings of guilt. Although the
patient had already received behavioural cognitive therapy, his symptoms did not significantly
improve. After only a few interventions intended to manipulate guilt into non-symptomatic
domains, we observed a reduction in obsessive symptoms. Although generalizations cannot be
made based on a single case, this treatment seems consistent with the hypothesis that a sense of
guilt has a central role in generating and maintaining obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore,
this case study highlights the importance of developing therapeutic procedures aimed at reducing
feelings of guilt.
Keywords
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Guilt, Cognitive therapy, Washing, Checking.
