Mood State and the Ritualistic Behaviour of Obsessional Patients

Abstract

Current explanations of the ritualistic behaviour of obsessional patients tend to be based on over-simplified accounts of this behavour. Detailed investigation of the rituals of three individual patients yielded the following findings, which are at variance with some widely held views and theories: (i) hostility, depression and anxiety are all important components of the mood state associated with ritualistic behaviour; (ii) these three components of mood state vary together; (iii) long rituals are associated with bad mood state before the ritual; (iv) some rituals cause mood to deteriorate, and this deterioration is more marked the longer the ritual; (v) artificial curtailment of such rituals has a beneficial effect on mood.