Correlates and mediators of functional disability in obsessive-compulsive disorder

This study examined factors associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) related functional disability in 87 treatment-seeking adults with OCD.

A trained evaluator administered the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale. Patients completed the Sheehan Disability Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory, Thought-Action Fusion Scale, Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition, and State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version.

Results indicated that OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and the tendency to misinterpret the significance of intrusive thoughts were related to functional disability. Two variables-depressive symptoms and the extent to which a patient attempts to resist and is able to control OCD symptoms-emerged as unique predictors of functional disability. Mediational analyses indicated that both of these variables fully mediated the relationship between OCD-related distress and functional disability.

Results are discussed in terms of predictors of functional disability in OCD and in terms of implications for assessment and treatment.