Comparison of recognition and memory confidence in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (washer, checker) and generalized anxiety disorder

Authors
Leila Fatehi Khoshknabk
Majid Mahmood alilo
ali Asgharzadeh
amir Panahali
akbar Rezaei
Abstract
The present study aimed to compare recognition memory and memory confidence among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) subtypes—washing and checking—and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using an experimental post-event design. The sample consisted of 45 patients referred to Razi Hospital Clinic in Tabriz in 2023, divided into three groups of 15 each: washing-type OCD, checking-type OCD, and GAD. Participants were aged 20 to 45 years, had at least a high school diploma, and included both genders. Memory was assessed using two computerized word lists, comprising recognition and recall tasks. Data were analyzed through multivariate analysis. Findings indicated significant differences among groups in recognition memory and memory confidence (p < 0.05), with the checking-type OCD group demonstrating poorer performance compared to the other groups. These results highlight the differential impact of emotional disorders on cognitive memory components and emphasize the need for targeted cognitive and psychotherapeutic interventions to improve memory functioning in OCD and anxiety patients.
Keywords
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Confidence in Memory
Recognition memory
Checking
Champion, S. M., & Grisham, J. R. (2024). Does Low Memory Confidence Drive Excessive Reassurance Seeking in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder? Insights from a Novel In Vivo Study. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 17(4), 837-855.
Chiang, B., & Purdon, C. (2023). A study of doubt in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 80, 101753.
Dalgleish, T., & Hitchcock, C. (2023). Transdiagnostic distortions in autobiographical memory recollection. Nature Reviews Psychology, 2(3), 166-182.
Dar, R., Sarna, N., Yardeni, G., & Lazarov, A. (2022). Are people with obsessive-compulsive disorder under-confident in their memory and perception? A review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 52(13), 2404-2412.
Dar, R., Sarna, N., Yardeni, G., & Lazarov, A. (2022). Are people with obsessive-compulsive disorder under-confident in their memory and perception? A review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 52(13), 2404-2412.
Demaria, F., Pontillo, M., Di Vincenzo, C., Di Luzio, M., & Vicari, S. (2022). Hand washing: When ritual behavior protects! Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young people during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(11), 3191.
Feng, L., & Mohd Rawian, R. (2023). The mediating role of motivation and language anxiety in increasing EFL learners’ working memory. Language Related Research, 14(1), 335-358.
Gkintoni, E., & Ortiz, P. S. (2023, August). Neuropsychology of generalized anxiety disorder in clinical setting: a systematic evaluation. In Healthcare (Vol. 11, No. 17, p. 2446). MDPI.
Gong, Y., Zhou, H., Zhang, Y., Zhu, X., Wang, X., Shen, B., ... & Ding, Y. (2021). Validation of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) as a screening tool for anxiety among pregnant Chinese women. Journal of affective disorders, 282, 98-103.
Gurrieri, R., Gambini, M., Pescini, E., Mastrogiacomo, D., Russomanno, G., & Marazziti, D. (2025). Memory Functions in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. Brain Sciences, 15(5), 492.
Gurrieri, R., Gambini, M., Pescini, E., Mastrogiacomo, D., Russomanno, G., & Marazziti, D. (2025). Memory Functions in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. Brain Sciences, 15(5), 492.
Guzick, A. G., Candelari, A., Wiese, A. D., Schneider, S. C., Goodman, W. K., & Storch, E. A. (2021). Obsessive–compulsive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Current psychiatry reports, 23, 1-10.
Jalal, B., Chamberlain, S. R., & Sahakian, B. J. (2023). Obsessive‐compulsive disorder: Etiology, neuropathology, and cognitive dysfunction. Brain and behavior, 13(6), e3000.
Jondani, J. A., Yazdkhasti, F., & Abedi, A. (2023). Memory confidence and memory accuracy deterioration following repeated checking: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 81, 101855.
Mahjani, B., Bey, K., Boberg, J., & Burton, C. (2021). Genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychological medicine, 51(13), 2247-2259.
Matta, J., Robineau, O., Wiernik, E., Carrat, F., Severi, G., Touvier, M., ... & Lemogne, C. (2023). Depression and anxiety before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and incident persistent symptoms: a prospective population-based cohort study. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(10), 4261-4271.
Ouhmad, N., Deperrois, R., El Hage, W., & Combalbert, N. (2024). Cognitive distortions, anxiety, and depression in individuals suffering from PTSD. International Journal of Mental Health, 53(4), 336-352.
Özdemir, İ., & Kuru, E. (2023). Investigation of cognitive distortions in panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(19), 6351.
Papola, D., Miguel, C., Mazzaglia, M., Franco, P., Tedeschi, F., Romero, S. A., ... & Barbui, C. (2024). Psychotherapies for generalized anxiety disorder in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. JAMA psychiatry, 81(3), 250-259.
Rosa-Alcázar, A. I., Rosa-Alcázar, Á., Martínez-Esparza, I. C., Storch, E. A., & Olivares-Olivares, P. J. (2021). Response inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory in obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3642.
Schaeffer, J. D., Newell, C., Spann, C., Siemens, G., & Liegey Dougall, A. (2023). Inflammation, depression, and anxiety related to recognition memory in young adults. The Journal of General Psychology, 150(1), 1-25.
Sheth, S. A., & Mayberg, H. S. (2023). Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 46(1), 341-358.
Shevlin, M., Butter, S., McBride, O., Murphy, J., Gibson-Miller, J., Hartman, T. K., ... & Bentall, R. P. (2022). Measurement invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) across four European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 154.
Wanderley Espinola, C., Gomes, J. C., Mônica Silva Pereira, J., & dos Santos, W. P. (2022). Detection of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and generalized anxiety disorder using vocal acoustic analysis and machine learning: an exploratory study. Research on Biomedical Engineering, 38(3), 813-829.
Xiong, Z., Weng, X., & Wei, Y. (2022). SandplayAR: evaluation of psychometric game for people with generalized anxiety disorder. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 80, 101934.
Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2022). Executive functioning constructs in anxiety, obsessive–compulsive, post-traumatic stress, and related disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(12), 871-880.
Zhang, C., Wang, T., Zeng, P., Zhao, M., Zhang, G., Zhai, S., ... & Liu, D. (2021). Reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of the general anxiety disorder scale among Chinese medical university students. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 648755.