Thought-action fusion and anxiety: how do they affect obsessive-compulsive symptoms? A moderated-mediated analysis

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between intrusive thoughts and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, by testing the mediated moderation model of the mediating role of thought-action fusion and moderating role of state anxiety. A sample of 1455 university students with the average age of 19.93 years old in China filled out scales measuring intrusive thoughts, thought-action fusion, state anxiety and OC symptoms. The results indicated that thought-action fusion-likelihood plays a mediating role between intrusive thoughts and OC symptoms, and state anxiety could positively moderate the association between thought-action fusion-likelihood fusion and OC symptoms. However, the mediate effect of thought-action fusion-moral was not significant. This study offers new insights into the cognitive pathway of OCD and enriches a theoretical foundation for preventive interventions targeting OC symptoms. Such insights may contribute to enhancing mental health literacy across Chinese society, thereby facilitating a more accurate understanding of obsessive thoughts and alleviating anxiety.