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In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. In order to deal with unwanted intrusive thoughts, individuals might consciously attempt to halt the flow of these cognitions through suppression or unconsciously avoid them automatically through repression.
Results A total of participants completed the survey, with a mean age of CFA indicated a modest fit for the one-factor model. This validated tool will allow researchers and practitioners to assess emotions and behaviors related to intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts represent undesirable cognitive activity that can cause distress, and occurs in individuals with and without psychological disorders 1. Experiencing frequent intrusive thoughts has been connected to psychopathology including obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD 2 , illness anxiety disorder IAD 3 and posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD 4.
In nonclinical individuals, intrusive thoughts were related to maladaptive emotions and behaviors such as impulsivity 5 , potential self-harm 6 and depressive mood 7. A recent review found that Middle Eastern individuals diagnosed with OCD can experience more intense intrusive thoughts, especially ones that are associated with religion 8.
Among Egyptian individuals, those who exhibited higher levels of OCD had a higher probability of experiencing intrusive thoughts related to suicidal ideation In order to deal with unwanted intrusive thoughts, individuals might consciously attempt to halt the flow of these cognitions through suppression or unconsciously avoid them automatically through repression Suppression of intrusive thoughts was previously assessed by the White Bear Suppression Inventory WBSI , a self-report measure meant to evaluate the incidence of intentional avoidance of spontaneous unwanted thinking Briefly after, higher WBSI scores were found to be correlated with emotional vulnerability Yet, the WBSI did not consider the emotional and behavioral reactions to intrusive thoughts, but focused on coping strategies.
