ABSTRACT
Within a theoretical framework it is necessary to distinguish between etiological and maintenance processes because maladaptive thinking and behavior might begin for one reason, yet persist for other reasons. Knowledge of causal factors is helpful for the purposes of prevention or relapse prevention following successful treatment. Understanding factors that maintain a disorder is most useful in psychological treatment because reversing these factors will weaken existing symptoms. Patients also benefit from understanding the psychological processes involved in the maintenance of their problem, as this understanding provides them with a compelling rationale for undertaking therapy (as discussed in chapter 5). Moreover, understanding this rationale appears to play a role in the successful treatment of OCD (Abramowitz, Franklin, Zoellner, & DiBernardo, 2002).
