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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 6.2

Publication Date: June 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.106.2.15013.

Abdullah, M. Z., Othman, A. K., Abdul Rashid, M. A., Saidon, J., Aluwi, A. H., Haidir, N., & Suryanto, T. (2023). Prevalence of OCD

among Academics in a Public University: A Moderating Role of Power of Influence. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,

10(6.2). 356-367.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Prevalence of OCD among Academics in a Public University: A

Moderating Role of Power of Influence

Mohd Zulkifli Abdullah

Corresponding Author

m_zulkifli@uitm.edu.my

Faculty of Business and Management,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Malaysia

Abdul Kadir Othman

Institute of Business Excellence,

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Malaysia

Mas Anom Abdul Rashid

Universiti Poly-Tech MARA, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Janiffa Saidon

Faculty of Business and Management,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Malaysia

Aini Hairianie Aluwi

Faculty of Business and Management,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Malaysia

Nurnazihah Haidir

PMcare Sdn Bhd, 1, Jalan USJ 21/10,

USJ 21, Subang Jaya, Selangor

Tulus Suryanto

Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis Islam,

Univarsitas Raden Intan, Lampung, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious problem among children and

adolescents. It will affect the sufferers’ social, emotional and academic functioning.

In the long term, the problem will affect the individual, the family, the mental health

system, and the society as the sufferers cannot play a significant role to contribute

to the society. The present study was undertaken to investigate the main predictors

of OCD among academics as they are also prone to suffering from this problem. At

the same time, the present study was looking into the moderating effect of power of

influence on the relationship between the four predictors and OCD among

academics. Using 463 responses from academics in a public university, the study

discovered that insecure attachment, external environment and role of genetics

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357

Abdullah, M. Z., Othman, A. K., Abdul Rashid, M. A., Saidon, J., Aluwi, A. H., Haidir, N., & Suryanto, T. (2023). Prevalence of OCD among Academics

in a Public University: A Moderating Role of Power of Influence. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6.2). 356-367.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.106.2.15013

significantly contribute to OCD. Furthermore, power of influence is found to

moderate the relationship between insecure attachment and OCD and between

external environment and OCD among academics. The management of the

university should encourage academics to involve in social activities in order to

reduce the prevalence of OCD among the staff. Other implications are discussed in

the paper.

Keywords: Obsessive compulsive disorder, parenting behavior, insecure attachment,

role of genetic, power of influence, academicians.

INTRODUCTION

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted intrusive thoughts that

provoke anxiety or distress (i.e., obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (i.e., compulsions) and

extreme avoidance behavior performed to reduce distress [1]. Obsessions and compulsions are

often theme-based (e.g., contamination, harm) and functionally related. Although rituals and

avoidance strategies reduce obsessional anxiety in the short term, they maintain the problem

in the long run by preventing the disconfirmation of feared consequences. Left untreated, OCD

can be a chronic condition that imposes substantial morbidity. OCD is considered one of the 10

leading causes of disability worldwide [2], with a lifetime prevalence of 2.30% (National

Comorbidity Survey Replication) [3]. It is estimated that 40% to 80% of adults with OCD had

their first symptomatic manifestations as children [4]; [5]. In fact, studies suggest that adult

males experience its onset before the age of 10 and adult females during adolescence [3].

Although OCD is associated with high impairment in quality of life [5] and considerable

interference in OCD sufferers’ lives, including social, emotional, and/or academic functioning,

there is usually a long delay in seeking treatment in adults [6], as well as in children and

adolescents [7]. In adults, studies have pointed out that between 38% and 89.8% of OCD

sufferers neither ask for nor receive treatment for their symptoms. This delay in seeking

treatment is a serious public health problem that has considerable effects and costs for the

individual, family, mental health system, and society [8]. Existing studies that have looked into

this matter are quite limited although the problem is serious. Therefore, the present study is

undertaken to address the scarcity of research effort in this area by looking into the factors that

lead to OCD and the moderating role of power of influence on the link between the factors and

OCD.

LITERATURE REVIEW

OCD is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences

uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she

feels compelled to repeat (National Institute of Mental Health). OCD is a neuropsychiatric

disorder characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts and repetitive, often ritualized

behaviors performed in response to obsessions or set rules and usually intended to alleviate

distress [9].

The role of the family in the development and maintenance of OCD in children and adolescents

is related to not only genetic factors but also behavioral factors, including parental modeling

and family accommodation. Parental modeling concerns the daily enactment of dysfunctional

behavioral patterns by a parent with OCD, which might influence children. For example, an OCD

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 6.2, June-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

parent’s purification rituals with food could be perceived as normal by their children, who

might implicitly learn that food should be cleaned several times before eating due to

contamination thoughts [10]. Family accommodation describes the direct participation of

parents in their children’s compulsive rituals. For instance, parents might perform rituals on

behalf of their children (e.g., checking, cleaning), modify family routines, provide reassurance,

or facilitate avoidance of OCD triggers in order to decrease their children’s distress and time

spent executing compulsions [11].

However, parental efforts to relieve their children’s anxiety may inadvertently accommodate

and reinforce OC behaviors, thereby preventing the children from habituating to anxiety and

learning that the consequences that are feared typically do not occur. In other words, family

members who participate in their OCD child’s rituals might reinforce the children’s belief that

it is important to respond to OCD implicit thoughts. In this way, the children may continue to

act out OCD-related compulsions but, due to family accommodation, they may not recognize a

significant decrease in functioning, as they experience less distress and impairment [12].

Simultaneously, general family functioning may deteriorate, with the increased member

distress and high levels of family conflict [13]. According to [14] and [10], 80–90% of the

relatives of OCD patients directly participate in patients’ rituals linked to symptomatology. High

levels of family accommodation are associated with more severe OCD symptoms, increased

internalizing and externalizing symptoms, a reduced response to treatment, and a greater risk

of therapy dropout [15]. Therefore, one of the objectives of the present study is meant to

identify the factors that lead to OCD based on the existing work in this area.

Parenting behavior is one of the potential areas of interest regarding the development of OCD,

in which specific types of interaction between parents and children may increase the

development of OCD. In this context, parental care reflects the warmth, affection, and support

exhibited toward children [16]. Family members play an important role in the disease's

development and maintenance. In this relationship, both genetic and behavioral factors, such

as parental modeling and family accommodation, are significant. Parental modeling concerns

the daily enactment of dysfunctional behavioral patterns by a parent with OCD, which may

influence their children. Family accommodation, in contrast, describes the direct participation

of parents in their children’s compulsive rituals, either by modifying daily routines or by

facilitating avoidance of OCD triggers, to decrease the children’s distress and time spent

executing compulsions [17].

Insecure attachment is a risk factor for several types of psycho-pathology, like depression and

anxiety disorder, which are marked by negative feelings about the self, like low self-esteem and

a sense of not being worth much, as well as negative feelings about others, like being afraid of

yourself, being afraid of getting sick from being around with other people, being afraid of the

cleanliness of your surroundings, and being afraid of sharp objects.

External environment is also known as outside factors, like learning from models, stress, and

trauma, play a big role in the development of OCD and can change how genes are transcribed

and expressed [18]. For example, if a memory from the past comes to mind, it will change how

you feel.