Social skills in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder before and after treatment

We investigated whether social skills are impaired in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), whether they changed over the course of treatment, and whether OCD severity, age of onset, and illness duration were associated with social skills deficit.

A total of 41 treatment-naïve patients with OCD and 34 healthy controls were assessed using the Social Skills Inventory. Patients were reevaluated 12 weeks after standardized treatment. Group differences and the effects of treatment on OCD symptomatology over time were analyzed with independent and paired tests, respectively. OCD severity, age at illness onset, and illness duration were tested as predictors of social skills.

The patient group had lower overall social skill scores than controls (p < 0.001). After treatment, although OCD symptomatology (p < 0.001) improved, there was no significant difference in social skills (p = 0.673). Earlier age of symptom onset predicted lower social skill scores (p = 0.016).

Our results suggest that, despite improved OCD symptoms, social skills did not change after treatment. Subsequent investigations with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods could determine whether social skills are likely to increase over time.