Obsessive-compulsive disorder: a questionnaire survey of a self-help group

Ninety-three of 217 members of a self-help group for sufferers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) completed a detailed questionnaire concerning psychological symptoms, biographical data, and the family and social context of their disorder. Eighty-one respondents (49 women) met DSM-III-R criteria for OCD, and the data are based on these. The mean duration of OCD was 18 years, and 74% of respondents rated their symptoms as extremely, very, or fairly severe for at least 50% of the time since onset. Respondents had received a great deal of psychiatric and psychological treatment, and rated behaviour therapy and individual psychotherapy as the most effective. Women employed outside the home reported significantly less obsessional symptoms than those who were not. Significantly raised scores on a measure of perceived parental protection, and significant correlations between parental overprotection and the amount of psychiatric treatment, suggest avenues for new research in the area.