Clinical Features Of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Research Articles

Study on symptom dimensions and clinical characteristics in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The aim of this study was to explore the symptom dimensions and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the context of Chinese culture. In this cross-sectional study, the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the distribution of symptoms, and symptom scores of 263 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Symptoms Checklist. System cluster analysis and Pearson analysis were performed to explore the relationships between the main clinical characteristics and symptom dimensions. Cluster analysis identified four symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder: (1) symmetry precision; (2) contamination cleaning; (3) aggression examination; and (4) taboo thinking. The symmetry precision dimension showed an association with years of education. The compulsive score, total Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score, contamination cleaning dimension, and aggression examination dimension had significant relationships. Age, age at onset, obsessive score, and compulsive score had a significant correlation with the taboo-thinking dimension. The symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder in China are similar to those in other regions. Each of the four symptom dimensions had distinct clinical characteristics.

Changes in the psychological defense mechanism and clinical features of patients with OCD – A four-year follow-up study

ObjectiveThe present study aims to (1) follow up with 4-year changes in the efficacy outcome, defense style questionnaire (DSQ) score, and clinical features of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and (2) analyze the relationship between different levels of efficacy and changes in the patients' psychological defense mechanisms. MethodsThe following data collection and 4-year follow-up were completed for 153 patients with OCD: (1) the treatment process, efficacy outcome, course of disease, and clinical features of OCD were collected using a self-made general information questionnaire and (2) the control method was used to analyze the changes in clinical symptoms (Yale–Brown obsessive compulsive scale [YBOCS], Hamilton anxiety score [HAMA], and Hamilton depression scale [HAMD]) in patients with OCD. Moreover, the changes in the psychological defense mechanism (measured by DSQ) and the relation between the prognosis and DSQ score were investigated. Results(1) The HAMA score (8.7 ± 4.8 points), HAMD score (12.0 ± 6.6 points) and YBOCS score (16.4 ± 8.4 points) were significantly lower during the follow-up than at the time of enrollment (p < 0.01). In the two DSQ evaluations, there were no significant differences in the factors, with the exception of a significant decrease in the use of “reaction formation” (t = 2.533, p = 0.015). The changes of mature defense factors in the significant efficacy group significantly increased (p < 0.01). Which was mainly manifested in the significant increase in the score of “sublimation” item, and the difference was extremely significant (t = −3.093, p = 0.006). ConclusionAn abnormal psychological defense mechanism plays an important role in OCD, and the use of a mature defense mechanism is significantly related to the treatment efficacy.

Treatment of preschool children with obsessive compulsive disorder.

The aim was to examine the clinical features of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in preschool and the effectiveness of aripiprazole with a standardized Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy (CBFT) in the treatment of preschoolers with OCD. Twelve preschool children, 36-72months of age were diagnosed with OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Fifth Edition criteria by a fellowship-trained child and adolescent psychiatrist. They were evaluated with Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime version and Childhood Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) at baseline, at the end of the 12th and 24th weeks of treatment. The baseline mean of total CY-BOCS score decreased from 33.67 to 13.83 at the 12th week and 5.58 at the end of the 24th week of treatment. Also, 66.7% of them had at least one psychiatric comorbidity. Overall, this study revealed the effect of aripiprazole with CBFT in preschool-aged children with OCD. Also, the presence of comorbidity that is seen frequently in preschoolers with OCD may complicate the treatment. Therefore, there is a need to increase awareness of OCD and its comorbidities in preschoolers to supply treatment at an early age.

Stressful Life Events and the Clinical Expression of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): An Exploratory Study.

Background: In obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), symptom content and severity appear to fluctuate over the course of the life cycle in accordance with stressful life events. The objective of this paper was to compare OCD patients with and without reported stressful life events (SLEs) in terms of the sociodemographics of patients and the clinical characteristics of OCD. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1001 patients with OCD. Data concerning SLEs were collected via the Yale OCD Natural History Questionnaire, while for OCD symptoms, the Dimensional Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale was used. Results: Of the 1001 OCD patients, 605 (60.5%) reported experiencing at least one SLE in their lifetime. Self-declared nonwhite skin color (odds ratio (OR) = 1.51), the presence of a sensory phenomenon (OR = 1.47), and comorbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR = 2.38) were some of the logistic regression variables related to the reported SLEs with relevant statistical significance and risk (i.e., OR) values. Conclusions: Our results indicate that SLEs may make Brazilian OCD patients vulnerable to the onset or exacerbation of obsessive–compulsive symptoms. The positive association of the occurrence of SLEs and sensory phenomena in this population could corroborate that environmental influences impact the neurobiology associated with OCD, and likely with other psychiatric disorders as well.

Clinical profile of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: A multicentric study from India.

Context:Data from the Western countries suggest that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is associated with male preponderance, comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders, and high family loading. However, data are limited from the developing countries with respect to the demographic and clinical characteristics of OCD in children and adolescents.Aims:To study the demographic and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents (age ≤18 years) with OCD.Setting and Design:This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in outpatient treatment setting, across six centers in India.Materials and Methods:Participants were assessed using a semi-structured pro forma for sociodemographic information, clinical characteristics, the Children's Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS), Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition Research Version, Children's Depression Rating Scale, and Family Interview for Genetic Studies.Results:The sample was largely male with a moderate illness severity. Nearly 75% of the sample had illness onset before the age of 14 years. Aggressive, contamination-related obsessions and washing, checking, and repeating compulsions were the most common symptoms. CYBOCS assessment revealed that >2/3rd of children and adolescents endorsed avoidance, pathological doubting, overvalued sense of responsibility, pervasive slowness, and indecisiveness. Family history and comorbidity rates were low. OC-related disorders were present in about 10% of the sample.Conclusions:This study suggests that the clinical characteristics of OCD in children and adolescents in developing countries differ on certain aspects as reported from developed countries.

Bipolar disorder among patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder at Zagazig University Hospitals

Background Comorbidity of bipolar disorder (BD) in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) patients is a relevant phenomenon and has significant effect on expression of symptom, treatment, and complications of the disorder. Objective The aim of this study was to find the frequency of BP in patients with OCD, determine the effect of BP occurrence on the clinical characteristics of OCD, and compare between OCD patients with and those without BP. Patients and methods Sixty individuals with OCD diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders, 5th ed., were subjected to screening using the Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms Scale, the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Mood Disorder Questionnaire. Results Fifteen percent of the OCD patients included in the study had additional lifetime diagnosis of BD. There was a statistically significant relation between comorbidity and episodic course of OCD, previous psychiatric hospitalization, and suicidal attempts. Patients with comorbid BD comprised mainly male patients and urban residents with a high incidence of religious obsessions and compulsions, general compulsions (e.g. checking, ordering, and arranging), and repetition, but with no statistically significant difference. Conclusion A better understanding of the clinical profile of individuals with a primary diagnosis of OCD with and those without BD helps in guiding the treatment of individuals.

Sleep and suicide relationship in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective: The data about sleep quality and suicide relationship in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the hypothesis that there might be a relationship between sleep quality and suicide in the OCD patients with compare the control group. Methods: A total of 50 patients with OCD (31 female, 19 male) and 40 healthy (24 female, 16 male) individuals as a control group were included in the study. A data form for sociodemographic features, one other forms for clinical characteristics of OCD and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YB-OCS) have been filled by clinician. After the interview, all patients completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Suicide Behavior Scale (SBS). Results: Six (12%) of the OCD patients had lifelong suicide attempts and twenty (40%) had lifelong suicide ideation. When OCD patients and healthy controls were compared, PSQI-2, PSQI-3, PSQI-5, PSQI-6, SBS-1, SBS-2, SBS3 and SBS total scores in patients with OCD were higher than healthy controls. In patients group with lifelong suicide ideations, PSQI-1 and PSQI-6 scores were higher. In patients group with lifelong suicide attempts, PSQI-6 scores were higher. In OCD patients, statistically significant correlations were detected between SBS-1 and PSQI-1, PSQI-6; SBS-3 and PSQI-6. This correlations were not observed in the control group. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it has been shown that the subjective sleep quality of the last 1 month in OCD patients and the intake of additional sleeping pills may be related to past suicidal thoughts and attempts. It may be appropriate to monitor OCD patients with subjective sleep quality impairment and use of additional medication more frequently in terms of suicide risk. In this issue, follow-up studies are needed to include more OCD patients.

Alexithymia and perfectionism traits are associated with suicidal risk in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

BackgroundThere is limited evidence on suicidality and its associated factors in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study investigated the potential contributing traits such as alexithymia and perfectionism and clinical risk factors including symptom dimensions associated with high suicidality in OCD patients. MethodsA total of 81 patients with OCD were included (mean age: 28.89 years, SD=7.95 years, 62% men). Suicidal risk was assessed using the Scale for Suicide Ideation and history taking. To assess alexithymia and perfectionism, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Measure of Constructs Underlying Perfectionism were applied. Clinical characteristics of OCD were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Obsessive–Compulsive Scale, and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Among OCD patients, 37% had a history of previous suicidal attempt, and 56.8% had current suicidal ideation. ResultsThose with lifetime suicide attempts scored significantly higher for alexithymia and ego-dystonic perfectionism than those without such history. In the binary logistic regression analysis, high score for alexithymia and the responsibility for harm, injury, or bad luck were significant determinants for lifetime suicide attempts. As for current suicide ideation, ego-dystonic perfectionism and the dimension of unacceptable thought were significant predictors of suicidal risk. LimitationsThe classification of suicidal risk and personality traits relied on self-report measures. ConclusionThe present findings indicate that personality traits such as alexithymia and perfectionism may contribute to high suicidality in patients with OCD, and patients suffering with unacceptable thoughts need to be assessed more carefully for warning signs of suicide.

Gender differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Findings from a large Indian sample

AimGender has been considered as one of the possible factors mediating phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We examined gender differences in a large sample of subjects with OCD from India with respect to socio-demographic parameters, symptom characteristics, and comorbidity patterns. MethodsConsecutive patients (n=545) who consulted a specialty OCD clinic over 5 years at a large psychiatric hospital in India were evaluated. ResultsMen (n=332) compared to women (n=213) with OCD had an earlier onset (p<0.001), higher frequency of sexual (p<0.001) and religious obsessions (p=0.001) pathological doubts (p<0.001) and checking (p<0.001) and repeating compulsions (p<0.001), and a greater tendency to have comorbid social phobia (p=0.006). Women compared to men were more likely to be married, had a higher frequency of fear of contamination (p=0.017), comorbid depression (p=0.014) and greater suicidal risk (p=0.003). ConclusionsOur study provides further evidence for gender related differences in clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Our findings are only partly comparable with results from studies across the world possibly due to various biological and cultural factors mediating the phenotypic expression of OCD across the genders. There is a need to examine the biological basis for these gender differences.

Study of symptom dimensions and clinical characteristics in Chinese patients with OCD

BackgroundThe current study explored the main symptom dimensions and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Chinese patients. MethodsObsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms of participants (N=512) were assessed through the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Checklist (YBOCS-CL). Exploratory category-level and item-level factor analyses were performed. Regression analysis was carried out to study the relationships between clinical characteristics in our sample and the symptom dimensions obtained. Relationships among the clinical characteristics were explored using the chi-square test. ResultsWe found five symptom dimensions in the category-level analysis and six similar symptom dimensions in the item-level analysis. Moreover, the factors identified in our study overlapped with the results of prior studies. Association between gender and the symptom dimension of ‘contamination/cleaning’ was observed, with females showing more significant association with this dimension than males. Age of onset was associated with the symptom dimension of ‘symmetry/arranging/repeating/counting’, with the early-onset group more actively associated with this dimension than the late-onset group. Early-onset patients with OCD were more likely to be male and show tic comorbidity. LimitationsData from only one site do not represent the full range of Chinese OCD patients. Furthermore, past symptoms may show memory bias. Inherent problems in the YBOCS-CL have also been identified. ConclusionSymptoms in Chinese OCD patients are multidimensional. The main components of symptom dimensions of OCD patients show similarity or consistency among different regions and sociocultural backgrounds. The pathogenic mechanism of OCD may show potential distinctions.

Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: The role of mediating variables

This study examined the association of various clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with quality of life (QoL) in 102 adults with a principal diagnosis of OCD. Participants were assessed by trained clinicians using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule 4th edition, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and an unstructured clinical interview. Subjects completed the MOS-36 Item Short Form Health Survey, and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity was negatively correlated with emotional health, social functioning and general health QoL. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and emotional health, social functioning and general health QoL. Additionally, interference of obsessive-compulsive symptoms mediated the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and emotional health, social functioning and general health QoL. Resistance against obsessive-compulsive symptoms mediated the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and social functioning QoL. Diminished QoL is present in persons with OCD and is essential in understanding the complete clinical picture of OCD.

Clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pervasive developmental Disorder

Clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder with pervasive developmental Disorder

Clinical features of tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder: results from a large multicenter study

To evaluate the clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients with comorbid tic disorders (TD) in a large, multicenter, clinical sample. A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 813 consecutive OCD outpatients from the Brazilian OCD Research Consortium and used several instruments of assessment, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the USP Sensory Phenomena Scale, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. The sample mean current age was 34.9 years old (SE 0.54), and the mean age at obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) onset was 12.8 years old (SE 0.27). Sensory phenomena were reported by 585 individuals (72% of the sample). The general lifetime prevalence of TD was 29.0% (n = 236), with 8.9% (n = 72) presenting Tourette syndrome, 17.3% (n = 141) chronic motor tic disorder, and 2.8% (n = 23) chronic vocal tic disorder. The mean tic severity score, according to the YGTSS, was 27.2 (SE 1.4) in the OCD + TD group. Compared to OCD patients without comorbid TD, those with TD (OCD + TD group, n = 236) were more likely to be males (49.2% vs. 38.5%, p < .005) and to present sensory phenomena and comorbidity with anxiety disorders in general: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, impulse control disorders in general, and skin picking. Also, the "aggressive," "sexual/religious," and "hoarding" symptom dimensions were more severe in the OCD + TD group. Tic-related OCD may constitute a particular subgroup of the disorder with specific phenotypical characteristics, but its neurobiological underpinnings remain to be fully disentangled.

Clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder with hoarding symptoms: A multicenter study

BackgroundFactor analyses indicate that hoarding symptoms constitute a distinctive dimension of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), usually associated with higher severity and limited insight. The aim was to compare demographic and clinical features of OCD patients with and without hoarding symptoms. MethodA cross sectional study was conducted with 1001 DSM-IV OCD patients from the Brazilian Research Consortium of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (CTOC), using several instruments. The presence and severity of hoarding symptoms were determined using the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Statistical univariate analyses comparing factors possibly associated with hoarding symptoms were conducted, followed by logistic regression to adjust the results for possible confounders. ResultsApproximately half of the sample (52.7%, n = 528) presented hoarding symptoms, but only four patients presented solely the hoarding dimension. Hoarding was the least severe dimension in the total sample (mean score: 3.89). The most common lifetime hoarding symptom was the obsessive thought of needing to collect and keep things for the future (44.0%, n = 440). After logistic regression, the following variables remained independently associated with hoarding symptoms: being older, living alone, earlier age of symptoms onset, insidious onset of obsessions, higher anxiety scores, poorer insight and higher frequency of the symmetry-ordering symptom dimension. Concerning comorbidities, major depressive, posttraumatic stress and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, compulsive buying and tic disorders remained associated with the hoarding dimension. ConclusionOCD hoarding patients are more likely to present certain clinical features, but further studies are needed to determine whether OCD patients with hoarding symptoms constitute an etiologically discrete subgroup.

Late-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Comorbid Narcolepsy After Perfect Blend of Thalamo-Striatal Stroke and Post-Streptococcal Infection

Late-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Comorbid Narcolepsy After Perfect Blend of Thalamo-Striatal Stroke and Post-Streptococcal Infection

Epidemiology and clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder during pregnancy and postpartum period: a review

In this study we reviewed the current literature on the epidemiology and clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during pregnancy and postpartum period. The available reports on this topic have significant limitations and heterogenous methods. However, the prevalence and incidence rates of OCD reported during these two reproductive periods are higher than the rates estimated in the general population. The most common obsessions in pregnancy and puerperium were contamination and aggressive obsessions. Aggressive obsessions are observed more frequently in postpartum women compared to non-postpartum women. Pregnancy and postpartum periods appear to be risk periods for new-onset OCD. For this reason, pregnant and postpartum women should be screened with respect to OCD.

Obsessive compulsive disorder: nature and treatment

This article discusses obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and common approaches to treatment of the condition. The mental health professional’s role in recognising the clinical features of OCD will be explored and a case study is included to illustrate how OCD can present. The article includes some self-assessment to test the reader’s knowledge

Medial frontal and dorsal cortical morphometric abnormalities are related to obsessive-compulsive disorder

Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies provide support for orbitofrontal, medial frontal as well as for dorsal cortical volumetric alteration in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, there is still a need to replicate a priori unpredicted findings and to elucidate white matter volumetric abnormalities and relationships between grey (GM) and white (WM) matter volume and clinical characteristics of OCD. We compared GM and WM volume in a group of 14 patients with OCD and 15 healthy controls using a 3 T MRI scanner and an optimized VBM protocol. Regression analysis was used to examine relationships between GM and WM volume and clinical variables. In OCD we have found total WM volume reduction and marked mediofrontal, right temporo-parieto-occipital, right precentral, left middle temporal, left cerebellar and bilateral pons and mesencephalon GM volume reduction in the voxel-based analysis ( p ≤ 0.05, FDR corrected, extent threshold 100 voxels). Regression analysis indicated a positive relationship between left orbitofrontal GM volume and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a negative relationship between symptom severity and GM volume in supramarginal gyri. Earlier age of OCD onset and longer illness duration were associated with smaller left occipital GM and right parietal WM and with greater left medial frontal GM and left frontal WM ( p ≤ 0.001, uncorrected, extent threshold 50 voxels). Our results confirm volumetric abnormalities in the medial frontal and dorsal cortical areas in OCD. The relationships between OCD and clinical variables provide further evidence that frontal, parietal and occipital structures play a role in the disorder.

Sex differences in the phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder: an exploratory study from Brazil

Previous studies have shown differences in clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) between men and women, including mean age at onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), types of OCS, comorbid disorders, course, and prognosis. The aim of this study was to compare male and female Brazilian patients with OCD on several demographic and clinical characteristics. Three hundred thirty outpatients with OCD ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition [ DSM-IV], criteria) who sought treatment at 3 Brazilian public universities and at 2 private practice clinics in the city of São Paulo were evaluated. The assessment instruments used were the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale to evaluate OCD severity and symptoms, the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I Disorders to assess psychiatric comorbidity. Fifty-five percent of the patients (n = 182) were men who were significantly more likely than women to be single and to present sexual, religious, and symmetry obsessions and mental rituals. They also presented earlier onset of OCS and earlier symptom interference in functioning, and significantly more comorbid tic disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Women, besides showing significantly higher mean scores in the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, were more likely to present comorbid simple phobias, eating disorders in general and anorexia in particular, impulse control disorders in general, and compulsive buying and skin picking in particular. No significant differences were observed between sexes concerning family history of OCS or OCD, and global symptoms severity, either in obsession or compulsive subscale. The present study confirms the presence of sex-related differences described in other countries and cultures. The fact that the OCS start earlier and probably have a worse impact in men can eventually lead to more specific and efficacious treatment approaches for these patients.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms in Afrikaner schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients

There is evidence of variation in the prevalence of co-morbid obsessive-compulsive disorder in schizophrenia amongst ethnic groups. This study evaluated the lifetime prevalence and clinical characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)/ obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in Afrikaner schizophrenic and schizoaffective disorder patients. An ongoing genetic study of schizophrenia is currently being conducted on the Afrikaner founder population. In this cohort of 400 subjects from the original genetic study, we identified 53 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and co-morbid OCD/OCS (study group). They were matched for gender and age of onset of illness with 59 subjects who do not have OCD/OCS (control group). The diagnostic instrument used in this cohort is the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) version 2, which has been translated into Afrikaans. In addition to the DIGS, information for the relevant clinical characteristics reported in this study was also drawn from a detailed narrative chronological summary report and clinical files. A checklist was completed. The prevalence of co-morbid OCD/OCS amongst 400 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was 13.2% [n=53] of which 40 were male and 13 female patients. The prevalence of OCD was 10.7% and OCS was 2.5%. Contamination obsessions [n=17] were the most common type of obsession reported, followed by religious obsessions [n=8]. The most prevalent compulsions were repetitive rituals [n=32] followed by checking behaviour [n=22]. Onset of psychotic symptoms was found to be insidious in 86.8% of the study group compared to 24.6% of the control group (p<0.0001). Second-generation antipsychotic use was found to be statistically more prevalent in the study group (77.4%), compared to the control group (45.8%) (p=0.0008). 73% of the study group experienced depressive symptoms compared to 50.8% of the control group. Both groups were found to have a similar incidence of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Substance abuse amongst the control group was significantly higher (35.9%) compared to the study group (19.2%) (p <0.05). Cannabis was most commonly abused in both groups, followed by alcohol. The prevalence rate of 13.2% of co-morbid OCD/OCS in Afrikaner schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients differs from findings in other ethnic groups, suggesting the possible role of genetic and cultural factors in the prevalence of co-morbid OCD/OCS. Second-generation antipsychotic use amongst schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients with co-morbid OCD/OCS was found to be significantly higher than in those without co-morbid OCD/OCS. Clinical characteristics of Afrikaner schizophrenics and schizoaffective disorder patients with and without co-morbid OCD/OCS are the same, both groups were associated with significant psychopathology and a poor prognosis.