OCD with comorbid OCPD: a subtype of OCD?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• The potential for subtypes within OCD is an area of ongoing research.
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) shares features with OCD, prompting investigation into their relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the validity of using comorbid OCPD to identify a distinct subtype of OCD.
• To examine the clinical characteristics of individuals with both OCD and OCPD.

Main Methods:

• Intake assessments from 238 treatment-seeking individuals with primary DSM-IV OCD were analyzed.
• Subjects were assessed for the presence of comorbid OCPD.
• Clinical features, symptom presentation, and psychiatric comorbidities were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• 27% of OCD subjects (N=65) met criteria for comorbid OCPD.
• OCD+OCPD subjects had an earlier age of onset for obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
• OCD+OCPD subjects exhibited higher rates of specific obsessions (symmetry, hoarding) and compulsions (cleaning, ordering, repeating, hoarding), increased anxiety disorders, avoidant personality disorder, and poorer global and social functioning.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with co-occurring OCD and OCPD display unique clinical profiles.
• These distinct characteristics, along with family study data, support the hypothesis of OCD associated with OCPD as a specific subtype.
• Further research is recommended to confirm the validity of this proposed OCD subtype.