Clinical correlates of recurrent major depression in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Major depressive disorder is the most frequent comorbid condition in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study investigated factors associated with the development of recurrent major depressive disorder (RDD) in patients with OCD. Eighty OCD cases and 73 control probands were examined by psychiatrists or clinical psychologists using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Anxiety (SADS-LA). Two experienced psychiatrists independently reviewed all clinical materials and made final consensus diagnoses using DSM-IV criteria. Family history of OCD and RDD, additional comorbid disorders, OCD symptoms and illness severity were compared between persons with OCD alone (n = 21) and OCD with RDD (n = 41). Compared to OCD probands without RDD, OCD probands with RDD had earlier age at first diagnosis, more severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and were more likely to have a family history of RDD. Social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder occurred more frequently in the comorbid group. In a multiple logistic regression model, only early age of OCD diagnosis was significantly associated with RDD. Early age at onset of OCD increases the risk of depressive disorder in individuals with OCD.