Obsessions: source of inefficiency in the workplace.

Obsessions are persistent, intrusive, unwanted ideas that are unproductive and anxiety-arousing. Although the magnitude of their importance in the workplace has not been established by acceptable scientific research criteria, they are in all probability a major source of inefficiency in jobs involving a high percentage of intellectual effort. The current body of knowledge of clinical psychiatry and behavioral psychology can provide rudimentary insights and hypotheses. The need is emphasized for further research to elucidate more precisely the extent of the problem.