The impact of obsessive dimension on symptoms and functioning in schizophrenia

Matteo Tonna,Rebecca Ottoni,Andrea Affaticati,Lorenzo Ferrari,Alberto Monici,Paolo Ossola,Chiara De Panfilis,Carlo Marchesi

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.10.007

Matteo Tonna, Rebecca Ottoni + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.10.007

Copy DOI

Abstract

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) and Disorder (OCD) occur frequently in patients with schizophrenia. Nevertheless the impact of OCS/OCD on clinical characteristics and outcome of schizophrenia remains controversial. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of obsessive–compulsive dimension on symptom expression and functioning in schizophrenia. Sixty patients affected by schizophrenia completed the SCID-IV, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale, the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale and the Strauss and Carpenter Level of Functioning Rating Scale. Obsessive–compulsive dimension was associated neither with positive or disorganization symptoms nor with negative symptoms. By contrast, it adversely affected levels of functioning, with a major impact exerted by compulsions rather than obsessions. Obsessive–compulsive dimension appears to be independent from negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia and independently decreases social functioning.

Highlights

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) and Disorder (OCD) occur frequently in patients with schizophrenia with a rate varying from 10% to 64% for OCS and from 7.8% to 31.7% for OCD (de Haan et al, 2013a, 2013b)
Neither Y-BOCS total score (14.7 713.3; median1⁄4 11.5; range: 0–36) nor subtotal obsessions or compulsions scores were associated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores with the only exception of the general psychopathology symptoms score (Table 2)
No association was found between specific PANSS and Y-BOCS items

Summary

Introduction

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) and Disorder (OCD) occur frequently in patients with schizophrenia with a rate varying from 10% to 64% for OCS and from 7.8% to 31.7% for OCD (de Haan et al, 2013a, 2013b). The impact of OCS/OCD on clinical characteristics and outcome of schizophrenia remains controversial (Poyurovsky et al, 2012; de Haan et al, 2013a, 2013b). Other studies failed to reveal any differences in schizophrenic symptoms between patients with and without OCS/OCD comorbidity

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion