This cross-sectional study examined OCD symptom severity and self-stigma across 137 college students grouped by trauma exposure status: no trauma exposure (n=63), trauma exposure only (n=50), and trauma exposure with probable PTSD (n=24), using self-reported measures (OCI-R, PC-PTSD-5, PCL-5, SSOSH).
The probable PTSD group had significantly higher OCD symptoms than the other two groups (p=.001). Self-stigma did not differ significantly between groups (p=.35). However, OCD symptoms moderated the trauma exposure–self-stigma link: the trauma-exposure-only group showed *lower* self-stigma than the no-trauma group when OCD symptoms were low (p=.004).
- Small sample of college students limits generalizability to clinical or community populations. - Probable PTSD was identified by screening tool (PC-PTSD-5), not diagnostic interview. - All measures were self-reported, raising risk of shared-method bias.
Clinicians treating trauma-exposed patients should screen for comorbid OCD symptoms, as their presence appears to shape the relationship between trauma and self-stigma in meaningful ways. Addressing OCD symptoms alongside PTSD may be relevant to reducing barriers to help-seeking driven by self-stigma.
