Cross-cultural differences in obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions across young adults in Mexico and USA

Despite cross-cultural differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD) symptomology, little work has been extended in those in
Mexico. To bridge this gap, the current study administered
standardised and culturally-validated measures of OCD and a critical
cultural construct – spirituality – to young adults in Mexico (n = 430)
and the USA (n = 194). Linear regression analyses indicated that
individuals in Mexico reported significantly greater scores on all
obsessive-compulsive (OC) dimensions, when compared to those in
the USA. The association between nationality and all OC symptom
dimensions (except responsibility for harm) depended upon degree
of spirituality; as spirituality increased, OCD severity decreased in the
Mexican sample and increased in the USA sample. The potentially
protective role of spirituality in Mexican participants may be
explained by the collectivist culture, which can inform culturallytailored interventions. Our study was limited by our analogue sample
and cross-sectional design. Future researchers should collect
longitudinal data and employ random sampling methods.