Understanding and Managing Scrupulosity in Significant Others: An Interpretative Phenomenological.

Scrupulosity is a disorder characterised by the presence of religious or moral obsessions and compulsions, which poses significant treatment challenges largely due to reluctance of individuals to seek help. An area missing from the literature on scrupulosity is how families and significant others conceptualise the disorder and how they may accommodate it. The current study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the experience of family members and close friends of people with scrupulosity. Three case studies are presented with an overview of pertinent themes across cases. Findings include the importance of demarcating the boundary between religious devotion and obsession in understanding and managing scrupulosity for significant others. A shared faith between the scrupulous individual and their significant other impacts how this boundary is both understood and managed, as well as the perceived authority of the significant other in challenging scrupulous beliefs and actions