Leila Jahangard1, Vahid Fadaei1, Arezoo Sajadi1, Mohammad Haghighi1, Mohammad Ahmadpanah1, Nasrin Matinnia2, Hafez Bajoghli3, Dena Sadeghi Bahmani4, Undine Lang4, Edith Holsboer-Trachsler4, Serge Brand5. 1. Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. 2. Department of Nursing, College of Basic Science, Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran. 3. Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4. University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland. 5. University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, Division of Sport and Psychosocial Health, Basel, Switzerland; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Psychiatry Department, Substance Abuse Prevention Center and Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran. Electronic address: serge.brand@upkbs.ch.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: One to three percent of the adult population suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Previous studies have also shown that, compared to controls, patients with OCD report a lower QoL. The latter is associated with self-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality of life of OCD patients with that of healthy controls, while introducing expert-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety as covariates. Gender was also taken into account as an additional associated factor. METHOD: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with OCD (mean age: 32 years; 64% females) and healthy 100 controls (mean age: 31 years; 59% females; no discernible psychiatric disorder) took part in the present cross-sectional study. All participants completed questionnaires covering socio-demographic characteristics and dimensions of QoL. Experts rated participants' symptoms of OCD (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) and depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with OCD reported a lower QoL, and had higher symptoms of depression and anxiety. This pattern was particularly pronounced among female patients with OCD. QoL was lower in patients with OCD, even when controlling for depression and anxiety. Results from binary logistic regressions showed that female gender, low QoL and higher symptoms of OCD, depression and anxiety together predicted status as patient with OCD. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with OCD have a poorer quality of life and this is independent of depression or anxiety, and is particularly pronounced among female patients. Thus, treatment of OCD might take into account patients' comorbidities and gender.
BACKGROUND: One to three percent of the adult population suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Previous studies have also shown that, compared to controls, patients with OCD report a lower QoL. The latter is associated with self-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality of life of OCDpatients with that of healthy controls, while introducing expert-rated symptoms of depression and anxiety as covariates. Gender was also taken into account as an additional associated factor. METHOD: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with OCD (mean age: 32 years; 64% females) and healthy 100 controls (mean age: 31 years; 59% females; no discernible psychiatric disorder) took part in the present cross-sectional study. All participants completed questionnaires covering socio-demographic characteristics and dimensions of QoL. Experts rated participants' symptoms of OCD (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) and depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with OCD reported a lower QoL, and had higher symptoms of depression and anxiety. This pattern was particularly pronounced among female patients with OCD. QoL was lower in patients with OCD, even when controlling for depression and anxiety. Results from binary logistic regressions showed that female gender, low QoL and higher symptoms of OCD, depression and anxiety together predicted status as patient with OCD. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with OCD have a poorer quality of life and this is independent of depression or anxiety, and is particularly pronounced among female patients. Thus, treatment of OCD might take into account patients' comorbidities and gender.