Social functioning and quality of life comparisons between obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenic disorders

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment traditionally prioritizes symptom reduction.
• Social dysfunction and reduced quality of life significantly contribute to the burden of OCD.
• Comparisons with schizophrenia can illuminate the extent of social impairment in OCD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the significance of social dysfunction and quality of life in patients with OCD.
• To compare social functioning and quality of life in OCD patients versus schizophrenia patients.
• To evaluate the impact of multimodal treatment on social skills and quality of life in both groups.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 31 OCD patients in a partial hospital program and 68 schizophrenia outpatients were studied.
• The Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS) and Lehman Quality of Life Scale (QOL) were administered pre- and post-treatment.
• Statistical analyses compared baseline and post-treatment scores between the OCD and schizophrenia groups.

Main Results:

• OCD patients reported significantly lower quality of life scores than schizophrenia patients, both pre- and post-treatment.
• Both groups showed similar baseline scores on most social and independent living skills domains.
• OCD patients demonstrated significant improvements in social and independent living skills post-treatment, surpassing schizophrenia patients, though remaining unsatisfactory in some areas.

Conclusions:

• Severe OCD and schizophrenia present comparable levels of social impairment.
• Multimodal treatment leads to significant functional improvements for OCD patients.
• While OCD patients improve functionally, their social and independent living skills require further attention.