Core fears, values, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
Jonathan Huppert, Elad Zlotnick
In this paper, we describe the concepts of core fears and of values and propose that they play
important interactive roles in the manifestation and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder using
cognitive behavioral therapy. Core fears are defined as the ultimate feared consequence related to
one’s obsessions that will occur if compulsions or other avoidance behaviors are not used. Values are
defined by Schwartz (1992) as general beliefs related to prioritized life goals that guide choices or
evaluation of behavior and events. We propose that obsessions and core fears are influenced by one’s
values and that there are significant treatment implications to such a conceptualization.
Keywords
Values, core fears, obsessive-compulsive disorder, treatment, theory.
