The Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility in the Relationship between Rumination and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms
Keywords:
Rumination, Obsessive, compulsive symptoms, Psychological flexibility, Moderation, StudentsAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disabling psychological condition characterized by intrusive thoughts, repetitive behaviors, and maladaptive cognitive patterns. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between rumination and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Methodology: This applied study used a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of students at the Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, during spring and summer 2024, among whom 268 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected online using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, the Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow Rumination Questionnaire, and the Dennis and Vander Wal Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and moderation analysis.
Findings: The results indicated a significant positive relationship between rumination and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, showing that higher rumination was associated with greater obsessive-compulsive symptom severity (β=0.56, p=0.001). Psychological flexibility had a significant negative relationship with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (β=-0.48, p=0.001). The path from rumination to psychological flexibility was also significant (β=-0.10, p=0.001). Rumination and psychological flexibility together explained 31% of the variance in obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Moderation analysis showed that the relationship between rumination and obsessive-compulsive symptoms was significant among participants with low psychological flexibility (β=0.63, p=0.001), whereas this relationship was not significant among those with high psychological flexibility (β=0.09, p=0.13).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that psychological flexibility reduces the impact of rumination on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and functions as a cognitive-emotional protective factor. Accordingly, interventions designed to enhance psychological flexibility, particularly acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral approaches, may help reduce rumination and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Parsa Jaberi (Author); Abbas Abdollahi; Mahnaz Zihayat Kermani, Sanaz Rezaei (Author)
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