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Dissociative symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
D C Goff1, J A Olin, M A Jenike
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients show higher dissociation scores, correlating with symptom severity and depression. Some OCD symptoms may resemble dissociation.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Dissociative symptoms are often observed in various psychiatric conditions.
- The precise relationship between dissociative symptoms and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) requires further elucidation.
- Understanding this relationship can inform diagnostic and treatment strategies for OCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of dissociative symptoms in patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- To examine the correlation between the severity of OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and the presence of dissociative symptoms.
- To explore the potential overlap and diagnostic mimicry between OCD symptoms and dissociative phenomena.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 100 patients with diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) participated in the study.
- Standardized psychometric instruments were utilized to assess OCD symptom severity, dissociative experiences, and depressive symptoms.
- Structured clinical interviews were employed for the diagnosis of personality disorders and dissociative disorders.
Main Results:
- Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibited dissociation scores moderately higher than healthy controls and comparable to individuals with other anxiety disorders.
- A significant positive correlation was found between elevated dissociation scores and increased severity of OCD symptoms.
- Patients reporting higher levels of dissociation were also more likely to experience depression and meet criteria for a personality disorder.
Conclusions:
- Dissociative symptoms are frequently reported among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Elevated dissociation in OCD is associated with greater symptom severity, comorbid depression, and personality disorders.
- Certain manifestations of OCD may present with symptoms that can be mistaken for or mimic dissociative experiences.