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Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescent schizophrenia patients
Allon Nechmad1, Gideon Ratzoni, Michael Poyurovsky
1Adolescent Inpatient Department, Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|May 3, 2003
Summary
A significant portion of adolescents with schizophrenia also experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This comorbidity, particularly in schizophrenia patients, warrants further investigation for better treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbidity is recognized in adult schizophrenia patients.
- Systematic evaluation of OCD rates in adolescent schizophrenia is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of DSM-IV diagnosed OCD in adolescent schizophrenia inpatients.
- To assess the relationship between schizophrenia symptom severity and OCD in this population.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 50 adolescent inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
- Utilized the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale to assess symptom severity.
Main Results:
- 26.0% (13 out of 50) of adolescent schizophrenia patients met DSM-IV criteria for OCD.
- Patients with comorbid OCD showed significantly higher scores on the SANS affective flattening subscale.
- A positive correlation was observed between total SANS and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores.
Conclusions:
- A substantial percentage of adolescent schizophrenia inpatients present with co-occurring OCD.
- Further prospective research is necessary to understand the clinical course, treatment response, and prognosis of this dual diagnosis.