Version 1 Reassurance seeking
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying different styles and effects of reassurance seeking
IRAS ID
170745
Contact name
Emma Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bath
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background: Research into excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) has investigated the factors involved in the onset, maintenance and termination of ERS with non-depressed OCD respondents and clinically depressed individuals (Parrish & Radomsky, 2010). This research showed that individuals with OCD tend to seek reassurance about general threats, whereas individuals with depression tend to seek reassurance about social threats (Parrish & Radomsky, 2010). However this work was descriptive, contained a small number of participants and only gave a preliminary indication of the motivation for seeking reassurance. Therefore this research will aim to expand upon this knowledge and will measure the motivating beliefs underlying reassurance seeking. Aims: This study aims to compare the way people seek reassurance and its effects in a group of people with OCD, a group of people with depression and a comparison community group. Results will help develop our understanding of reassurance seeking and it is expected that differences would have implications for the way service users and clinicians try to deal with excessive reassurance seeking. Design: Diagnosis will be the first stage, using a standardised interview. A further four questionnaires will then be completed to measure anxiety, depression, OCD and reassurance seeking; this last scale is the measure of particular interest. Recruitment: the study will aim to recruit 37 people with a diagnosis of OCD, 37 people with a diagnosis of depression. Clinical participants will be recruited from LIFT psychology in Bath, Swindon psychological therapies service and Swindon's older adult psychological therapy service. Everyone included will also be used to aid recruitment. Additional sites will also be contacted if numbers are hard to recruit (amendments will be submitted if this is necessary). Non-clinical participants will be recruited through a sample of convenience for benchmarking purposes.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0388
Date of REC Opinion
28 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion