The Synergistic Relationship of Disgust Propensity and Distress Intolerance with Contamination-Related Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms

Abstract Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogenous condition that encompasses a range of symptoms, including contamination and washing symptoms. The contamination/washing symptom dimension is the most common presentation of OCD with distinct behavioral, cognitive, and physiological components. Transdiagnostic individual difference factors such as disgust propensity and distress intolerance may function—both independently and synergistically—to maintain contamination OCD symptoms. Little empirical research has examined the direct and interactive relationship between these constructs and contamination OCD symptoms. The current study examined the association of disgust propensity and distress intolerance with contamination OCD symptoms using a multimethod approach. A sample of young adults ( N = 173) completed a series of questionnaires, including self-report measures of disgust propensity, distress intolerance, and OCD symptoms. Participants also completed several behavioral tasks which captured their emotional responding to visual disgust stimuli, behavioral avoidance, and washing behaviors. Results suggest that disgust propensity and distress intolerance relate to contamination OCD symptoms, both independently and synergistically. However, findings differed across outcome measures. Overall, this study provided novel information about the independent and synergistic relationships of disgust propensity and distress intolerance with multiple assessments of contamination OCD symptoms. Our findings highlight the utility of multimodal assessment to inform a more nuanced understanding of the association between OCD symptoms and relevant risk factors. Interventions targeting both disgust propensity and distress intolerance may be most effective for treating individuals with contamination OCD symptoms specifically, and general OCD symptoms more broadly.