http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2014244.stm

Religious people may be anxious about right and wrong
Devout Catholics are more likely to show symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder than less religious people, a study has found.
The finding adds weight to the theory that a strict religious upbringing may make people more prone to the psychological problem.

Common obsessions
Fear of contamination
Fear of causing harm to another
Fear of making a mistake
Fear of behaving in a socially unacceptable manner
Need for symmetry or exactness
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people are persistantly compelled to carry out ritualised behaviour in response to recurring thoughts which are often completely irrational.

For instance, sufferers often become obessesed with the notion that they are contaminated with germs, leading to hour upon hour of washing.

The condition can become so bad that it prevents people from leading a normal life.

The causes of the disorder, which affects at least 5 million Americans and a million Britons, are still obscure.

But genes, upbringing, head injuries and emotional trauma have all been implicated.

New Scientist magazine reports that researchers from the University of Parma in Italy have found that committed Catholics are more likely to show symptoms of OCD.