I Obsess About My Child’s Flaws

Only certified mental health professionals such as Clinical Psychologists or Psychiatrists  can identify and diagnose ROCD reliably.

Parents often report that their children’s happiness and success is one of their most important life endeavor. For some individuals, however, this endeavor may be associated with increased fears and preoccupation relating to perceived deficits in their children’s behaviors, personality, and appearance. Such preoccupations may become increasingly time consuming, distressing, and a cause of significant parental distress.

People with parent-child related ROCD symptoms tend to use phrases like “I am anxious all the time about my child because I fear that he/ she…” Does not look as good as other children, is not as intelligent as other children, does not have the potential to succeed, is not as moral as other children and is not as social or emotionally stable as other children. Such obsession may be associated with feelings and thoughts about not being a good enough parent, not proving enough for the child etc.,

Our research suggest that such obsessions are not uncommon and are associated with significant parental distress and difficulty enjoying being with the child. We also find such obsessions are associated with partner-focused obsessions and with an over-reliance on the child perceived value for one’s self worth. Our ongoing research aims of better understanding this OCD presentation and develop suitable treatments.

(Can help in the assessment of child-focused OC symptoms)

The following statements describe the way people may experience as parents. We are interested in the way you experience being a parent. Please rate the extent to which such thoughts and behaviors describe your experiences as a parent.

 

Not at all A little Moderately A lot All the time
1. I am happy with my child’s morality level 1 2 3  4 5
2. I repeatedly evaluate my child’s social functioning 1 2 3  4 5
3. I question whether my child is smart or intelligent enough 1 2 3  4 5
4. I am satisfied with my child’s appearance 1 2 3  4 5
5. I am troubled by thoughts about my child’s social skills 1 2 3  4 5
6. I am bothered by doubts about my child’s morality 1 2 3  4 5
7. The thought that my child is emotionally unbalanced is hard for me to dismiss 1 2 3  4 5
8. I seek reassurance (from friends, family, etc.) about whether my child is smart/intelligent enough 1 2 3  4 5
9. When I am with my child, I find it hard to ignore his/her physical flaws 1 2 3  4 5
10. I keep comparing my child’s ability to “achieve something” in life to that of other children 1 2 3  4 5
11. I compare my child’s intelligence to that of other children 1 2 3  4 5
12. I find it difficult to control my tendency to compare my child’s emotional responses to those of other children 1 2 3  4 5
13. The thought that my child is not intelligent enough bothers me greatly 1 2 3  4 5
14. I am bothered by thoughts  regarding the flaws in my child’s physical appearance 1 2 3  4 5
15. The thought that my child is not a “good and moral” person bothers me 1 2 3  4 5
16. I feel good about my child’s intelligence 1 2 3  4 5
17. I keep looking for evidence that my child is moral enough 1 2 3  4 5
18. Thoughts about my child’s poor functioning in social situations bother me 1 2 3  4 5
19. When I think of my child, I think about the flaw in his/her appearance 1 2 3  4 5
20. I’m constantly examining my child’s morality level 1 2 3  4 5
21. I keep trying to compensate for my child’s social deficiencies 1 2 3  4 5
22. I am bothered by doubts about my child’s emotional stability 1 2 3  4 5
23. I am happy with my child’s social skills 1 2 3  4 5
24. I keep examining whether my child acts in a strange manner 1 2 3  4 5
25. I am preoccupied with evaluating my child’s ability to “make something of himself/herself” 1 2 3  4 5
26. I feel an uncontrollable urge to compare my child’s physical flaws with those of other children 1 2 3  4 5
27. When I think of my child I wonder whether he/she is the sort of person who can succeed in the modern world 1 2 3  4 5
28. I keep looking for evidence of my child’s potential occupational success 1 2 3  4 5

 

coding

Morality 6,15,17,20
Sociability & emotional stability  21,18,5,2, 24,22,12,7
Competence  28,27,25,10
Appearance 26,19,14,9
Intelligence        3,8,11,16