The Mediating Role of Emotional Regulation in the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability, Worry, and Rumination and Obsessive-Compulsive in Those Who Pray with Many Doubts

Nafiseh Ayatelahi; Leila Zoghi

doi:10.63053/ijhes.139

Authors

Nafiseh Ayatelahi Master of Science in Psychology, Educational Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
Leila Zoghi Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Amin University of Law Enforcement Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63053/ijhes.139

Keywords:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, pray with a lot of doubts, emotional regulation, cognitive ability, worry, rumination

Abstract

Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that interfere with daily functioning. Pray with Many Doubts are a specific group of obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers whose symptoms manifest in a religious context (doubts about purity, repetition of religious acts). This study examined the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between cognitive abilities, worry, rumination, and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in this group.

Method: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included worshippers of Kathisarashk in 2023, of whom 148 were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected with five standard questionnaires (Yale-Brown Scale, PSWQ, Rumination Questionnaire, Nejati Cognitive Ability, and Gross and John Emotion Regulation) and analyzed with SPSS and Smart-PLS software.

Findings: Analysis of the results showed that worry (β = 0.52), rumination (β = 0.60), and cognitive impairment (β = 0.56) had a direct and significant effect on obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also, emotional regulation as a mediating variable moderated the relationship between worry (β = 0.007), cognitive impairment (β = 0.002), and rumination. The model fit indices (GFI = 0.95 and RMSEA = 0.058) indicated a good fit of the model to the data.

Conclusion: Dysfunctional emotion regulation is the link between cognitive deficits, repetitive thought processes, and the exacerbation of obsessions. Therapeutic interventions should focus on strengthening emotion regulation skills (such as mindfulness and distress tolerance) and correcting maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. Designing cultural-religious protocols for frequent worshippers is suggested.

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