Guilt, Emotion Regulation, and Quality of Life among Individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between guilt, emotional regulation and quality of life among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A correlational research design was used in the research, with a total sample size of N=100 OCD-diagnosed patients (n=79) women’s and (n=21) males. Purposive sampling was used to gather data from different hospitals and clinics. Standardized self-report instruments including the State Shame and Guilt Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Quality-of-Life Scale were used. Pearson correlational coefficient, simple linear regression and t- test were used to test the hypothesis. The results showed that guilt was significantly and negatively correlated with quality of life. A significant negative correlation was also found between guilt and emotion regulation.  Furthermore, simple linear regression analysis showed that guilt predicted 5.2% of the variance in emotion regulation. While it accounted 7% of the variance in quality of life. However independent-sample t-test showed that married OCD patients had a medium effect size and substantially higher guilt than unmarried patients. These findings suggest that guilt had a negative impact of emotion regulation and quality of life. The results imply that treatments aimed at enhancing emotion regulation and lowering maladaptive guilt may improve OCD patients' general quality of life. As part of OCD treatment strategies, mental health providers should pay specific attention to guilt-related cognitive processes, particularly in married people.

Keywords: guilt, shame, emotion regulation, quality of life, obsessive-compulsive disorder