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Obsessive and compulsive symptoms in chronic schizophrenia
I Berman1, A Kalinowski, S M Berman
1Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are prevalent in 25% of chronic schizophrenia patients. These patients experience earlier illness onset and poorer functional outcomes, indicating a need for new therapeutic approaches.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms can co-occur with schizophrenia, impacting patient prognosis.
- Understanding the prevalence and effects of OC symptoms in chronic schizophrenia is crucial for treatment development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of OC symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients.
- To compare the level of function and course of illness in chronic schizophrenic patients with and without OC symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Therapist-reported data were collected for 102 patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia (DSM-III-R).
- Assessment included OC symptoms, level of function, and course of illness.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five percent of patients exhibited significant OC symptoms.
- Patients with OC symptoms had earlier illness onset, more hospitalizations (past 5 years), and lower functional capacity.
- OC schizophrenics were less employed, less often married, and more dependent.
Conclusions:
- The presence of OC symptoms is associated with a poorer prognosis in chronic schizophrenia.
- These findings highlight the need for novel therapeutic strategies tailored to schizophrenic patients with comorbid OC symptoms.