Heeyeon Kim1, Jiwoo Seo1, Kee Namkoong2, Eun Hee Hwang3, Sung Yun Sohn2, Se Joo Kim4, Jee In Kang5. 1. Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 3. Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 4. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: kimsejoo@yuhs.ac. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: jeeinkang@yuhs.ac.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There 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. METHODS: A 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. RESULTS: Those 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. LIMITATIONS: The classification of suicidal risk and personality traits relied on self-report measures. CONCLUSION: The 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.
BACKGROUND: There 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 OCDpatients. METHODS: A 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 OCDpatients, 37% had a history of previous suicidal attempt, and 56.8% had current suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Those 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. LIMITATIONS: The classification of suicidal risk and personality traits relied on self-report measures. CONCLUSION: The 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.
Authors: Vahid Khosravani; Seyed Mehdi Samimi Ardestani; Farangis Sharifi Bastan; Dean McKay; Gordon J G Asmundson Journal: Clin Psychol Psychother Date: 2021-05-05
Authors: Georgina Krebs; David Mataix-Cols; Frühling Rijsdijk; Christian Rück; Paul Lichtenstein; Sebastian Lundström; Henrik Larsson; Thalia C Eley; Lorena Fernández de la Cruz Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2020-11-02 Impact factor: 4.839