Obsessive-compulsive disorder in postmenopausal women: prevalence, clinical features, and comorbidity

Studies about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during the postmenopausal period have been insufficient. The purpose of the current study was therefore to examine the prevalence rate, clinical characteristics, and comorbidity of OCD in postmenopausal women.

A total of 269 consecutive postmenopausal women admitted to a gynaecology outpatient clinic were included in the study. OCD and comorbid disorders was diagnosed by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The Yale-Brown Obsessive- Compulsive Scale was used to determine the types of obsessions and compulsions.

The prevalence rate of OCD was 7.1% in the sample. Two women (0.7%) reported that OCD developed during the postmenopausal period. The most common obsessions were contamination and symmetry/exactness, whereas the most common compulsions were cleaning/washing and checking. OCD was unrelated to variables examined in the present study. The comorbidity rate of other psychiatric disorders was 63.2% in OCD patients. The most common comorbid disorder was generalized anxiety disorder.

OCD was not rare in postmenopausal women admitted to a gynaecology outpatient clinic. In addition, OCD appears to be frequently comorbid with depressive or other anxiety disorders in the postmenopausal period.