Link between cognitive inflexibility and treatment adherence among disorders characterised by obsessive and compulsive symptoms

Aims and objectives
We conducted a cross-sectional online survey, including an objective cognitive task, to assess the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and treatment adherence amongst a broad group of adults diagnosed with OCRDs and EDs. These disorders were selected as they are known to be characterised by cognitive inflexibility (Frota Lisboa Pereira de Souza et al., 2024; Grant & Chamberlain, 2023), poor treatment adherence and sub-optimal clinical outcomes.

The study addressed the following research questions:

(1) To what extent does cognitive inflexibility relate to adherence to psychiatric medication or psychotherapies in individuals with OCRDs and EDs when considering the influence of other aspects of neuropsychological functioning (such as executive function), including a proxy for general intellectual functioning?
(2) Does cognitive inflexibility relate to adherence to psychiatric medication and/or psychotherapies among individuals with OCRDs and EDs, while also considering the influence of demographic or other clinical factors?