From Perception to Preoccupation: The Relationship Between Latent Profiles of Interoceptive Sensibility and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Severity in a Community Sample

Abstract Recent research has proposed a role for atypical interoception in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. Interoceptive sensibility, or one’s subjective tendency to experience and engage with bodily sensations, may be implicated in the anxious appraisal of sensations in OCD. The current study aimed to identify latent profiles of interoceptive sensibility and explore their relationship with OCD symptoms in a large cross-sectional community sample ( n = 362) with varying levels of OCD symptom severity. Four profiles of interoceptive sensibility were revealed: “Distressed and Disconnected”; “Anxiously Aware”; “Elevated Engagement”; and “Resilient Regulation”. The profiles were distinguishable from one another on regulatory capacity, bodily trust, and the anxious interpretation and avoidance of uncomfortable bodily sensations, as well as varying levels of bodily and emotional attentiveness. When comparing profiles on OCD symptom severity, the Distressed and Disconnected and Anxiously Aware profiles demonstrated significantly higher OCD symptom severity than the Elevated Engagement and Resilient Regulation profiles. This pattern was also largely consistent across OCD symptom dimensions. These findings provide additional insight into proposed dichotomous views of “adaptive” and “maladaptive” interoceptive sensibility and the ambiguous nature of heightened bodily attentiveness. Further research is necessary to replicate the current findings in a clinical sample.