Scrupulosity

This article is about pathological guilt over religious or moral issues. For related terms, see Scruple (disambiguation).

Scrupulosity is the pathological guilt and anxiety about moral issues. Although it can affect nonreligious people, it is usually related to religious beliefs. It is personally distressing, dysfunctional, and often accompanied by significant impairment in social functioning.[1][2] It is typically conceptualized as a moral or religious form of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).[3] The term is derived from the Latin scrupus, a sharp stone, implying a stabbing pain on the conscience.[1] Scrupulosity was formerly called scruples in religious contexts, but the word scruple now commonly refers to a troubling of the conscience rather than to the disorder.[citation needed]

As a personality trait, scrupulosity is a recognized diagnostic criterion for obsessive–compulsive personality disorder.[4] It is sometimes called "scrupulousness", but that word properly applies to the positive trait of having scruples.[5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Miller-Hedges was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Abramowitz JS, Jacoby RJ (2014). "Scrupulosity: A cognitive–behavioral analysis and implications for treatment". Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. 3 (2): 140–149. doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2013.12.007.
  3. ^ Deacon B, Nelson EA (2008). "On the nature and treatment of scrupulosity" (PDF). Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy. 4 (2): 39–53. doi:10.14713/pcsp.v4i2.932.
  4. ^ American Psychiatric Association (2000). "Diagnostic criteria for 301.4 Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder". Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) ed.). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0-89042-025-4.
  5. ^ "Scrupulous". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 17 September 2018.