Scrupulosity

Scrupulosity is a psychological disorder characterized by pathological guilt about moral or religious issues. It is personally distressing, objectively dysfunctional, and often accompanied by significant impairment in social functioning<ref name="APA">,

 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 
 5th edition, 
 American Psychiatric Publishing, 
 2013, 
  
  
 ISBN 978-0-89042-555-8,</ref>. It is typically conceptualized as a moral or religious form of Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), although this categorization is empirically disputable<ref name="APA"/>.

The term is derived from the Latin scrupulum, a sharp stone, implying a stabbing pain on the conscience. Scrupulosity was formerly called scruples in religious contexts, but the word has evolved to imply a disorder<ref name="APA"/>. Persons with this disorder are overly concerned that something they thought or did might be a sin or other violation of moral doctrine<ref name="APA"/>.

Symptoms

Scrupulosity is a subtype of Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Common symptoms of this disorder include obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors about religious or moral issues<ref name="APA"/>. People with scrupulosity often fear that their thoughts or behaviors might be a sin or other violation of religious doctrine<ref name="APA"/>.

Treatment

The primary treatments for scrupulosity are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication, typically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)<ref name="APA"/>. CBT for scrupulosity involves challenging the irrational beliefs and reducing the compulsive behaviors<ref name="APA"/>.

See also

• Obsessive–compulsive disorder
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

References

<references />

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