Obsessive compulsive disorder and symptoms may have different effects on schizophrenia

The aim of this study is to investigate the possible different effects of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) on schizophrenia illness in regard to clinical characteristics such as severity of symptomatology. We included 184 patients with schizophrenia on monotherapy with a stable dose of antipsychotics for at least three months. Severity of clinical symptoms was evaluated by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. OCS was examined by Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) Checklist. We also assessed OCD by using Y-BOCS. Seventeen percent of the patients were diagnosed with current OCD, while 17.4% of the patients were found to have OCS without OCD. Age of onset for OCD group was earlier than non-OCS group (p=0.007). The rate of occupation was higher (p=0.001), prevalence of other comorbid psychiatric disorders was lower (p=0.05), number of hospitalization was lower (p=0.03), GAF score was higher (p=0.03) and duration of education was longer (p=0.02) in the OCS group than in the non-OCS group. The rate of occupation was higher (p=0.04) and that rate of comorbid psychiatric disorders was lower (p=0.01) in the OCS group than in the OCD group. We found more OCS in patients using atypical antipsychotics (p=0.03). Our findings suggest that OCD and OCS might have different effects on schizophrenia.