Keywords
scrupulosity, OCD, religiosity, moral obsessions
Abstract
Scrupulosity, a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is a mental health disorder that is fundamentally unique and impacts both religious and non-religious perfectionistic individuals. The aim of this literature review is to highlight the difficulty in diagnosis and lack of specialized treatment for those suffering with the difficulties of scrupulosity. When someone seeks help from mental health professionals, they may remain undiagnosed due to the complexity of scrupulosity. Further, when properly diagnosed, treatment can be complicated due to the difficulty in distinguishing religious standards from obsessive tendencies. Additionally, when a therapist treats scrupulosity, they may struggle to apply general OCD treatment without violating the patient’s personal standards. Further, people struggling with scrupulosity may feel extremely anxious about their shortcomings and view their compulsive actions as the only way to cope with concerns, which is a temporary solution. Due to the lack of scrupulosity-focused research, future studies would benefit from larger sample sizes of patients with scrupulosity, a focus on finding a treatment specific for scrupulosity, explore how individuals of differing religions are affected by scrupulosity different, and aim to better understand how individuals with comorbid mental illnesses can be treated more effectively.
Recommended Citation
York, Nicholas
(2024)
"Understanding the Unexplored Illness of Scrupulosity,"
Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology: Vol. 16:
Iss.
1, Article 9.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/intuition/vol16/iss1/9