Background: Inflated responsibility is the main feature of cognitive-behavioural models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, few studies have examined the effect of cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) on inflated responsibility. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of CBGT on OCD symptoms and responsibility beliefs. Methods: Thirty-six subjects meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for OCD were recruited to CBGT, and 28 of them completed 12 sessions. Subjects were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS), and the Responsibility Interpretations Questionnaire (RIQ) at pre- and post-treatment. Results: Y-BOCS, RAS and RIQ (belief) scores were significantly improved at the end of the treatment. Conclusion: This study indicates that CBGT improves not only obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also inflated responsibility beliefs in patients with OCD.

Background: An inflated sense of responsibility is characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). No previous studies have investigated its origins. Five potential pathways to inflated responsibility beliefs have been proposed; these are tested in this study. Method: A novel measure, the Origins Questionnaire for Adolescents (OQA), was developed to assess experiences on these five pathways. Reliability of the OQA was investigated. The experiences on the five pathways to inflated responsibility beliefs of 16 adolescents with a history of OCD were compared to 16 adolescents with no history of OCD. Parents also reported on adolescents' experiences on the five pathways. Results: Test-retest reliability was high. The internal consistency of the subscales was only partly satisfactory. The groups differed on one pathway; the clinical group reported a higher sense of responsibility for significant incidents with a negative outcome prior to onset of OCD. Conclusions: An inflated sense of responsibility, in combination with the occurrence of specific incidents, might act as a vulnerability factor for development of OCD. Future research should consider how to measure the subtle effects of experiences of responsibility over the course of development.