Where does obsessive-compulsive disorder belong in DSM-V?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• A proposed reclassification of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) into obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) is under debate for the DSM-V.
• This shift involves grouping OCD with related conditions under a broader diagnostic umbrella.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze empirical data concerning the proposed nosological shift of OCD into OCSDs.
• To review shared commonalities and differences between OCD and putative OCSDs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of empirical research.
• Analysis of data on clinical presentation, phenotype, neurobiology, and treatment response.

Main Results:

• The available data reveal significant shared characteristics but also notable differences between OCD and proposed OCSDs.
• Empirical evidence does not currently substantiate a distinct OCSD spectrum separate from OCD.

Conclusions:

• The proposed reclassification of OCD into a separate OCSD spectrum is premature.
• Current empirical data do not support this diagnostic and conceptual change for the DSM-V.