Aetiology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Are Parenting Styles Causal?

Introduction Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition that affects an individual’s normal behaviour. It arises from anxiety and is caused by a range of genetic and environmental factors. Objectives To investigate whether parenting styles and behaviours are a causal factor of OCD. Methods To find relevant articles, the following key words were typed into SCOPUS and ISI Web of Knowledge, “OCD” or “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” AND adult* AND style or bond AND child*. Free articles that were topic specific and published in English were selected. Articles that focused on the biological causes of OCD or other mental disorders were excluded. The chosen articles were then assessed using CASP criteria. Results Findings reported that compulsive behaviours were linked to both maternal and paternal styles of parenting. Authoritarian and dismissive parenting involving low levels of care was found to be a strong predictor of the condition. Symptoms were also observed in highly anxious subjects with little independence. However, the link between over-protectiveness and OCD remains uncertain. Conclusion Parenting styles that are dictatorial in nature and show little concern for individuals are believed to cause Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Due to ambiguity in current literature, more research is needed on overprotective parenting.