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Obsessive–compulsive disorder and personality disorder

Evidence from the British National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity 2000

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Abstract

Background

Previous studies indicate that most individuals with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) have comorbid personality disorders (PDs), particularly from the anxious cluster. However, the nature and strength of this association remains unclear, as the majority of previous studies have relied heavily on clinical populations. We analysed the prevalence of screen positive personality disorder in a representative sample of adults with OCD living in private households in the UK.

Methods

A secondary analysis of data from the 2000 British National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity. The prevalence of PD, as determined by the SCID-II questionnaire, was compared in participants with OCD, with other neuroses and non-neurotic controls. Within the OCD group we also analysed possible differences relating to sex and subtypes of the disorder.

Results

The prevalence of any screen positive PD in the OCD group (N = 108) was 74%, significantly greater than in both control groups. The most common screen positive categories were paranoid, obsessive–compulsive, avoidant, schizoid and schizotypal. Compared to participants with other neuroses, OCD cases were more likely to screen positively for paranoid, avoidant, schizotypal, dependent and narcissistic PDs. Men with OCD were more likely to screen positively for PDs in general, cluster A PDs, antisocial, obsessive–compulsive and narcissistic categories. The presence of comorbid neuroses in people with OCD had no significant effect on the prevalence of PD.

Conclusions

Personality pathology is highly prevalent among people with OCD who are living in the community and should be routinely assessed, as it may affect help-seeking behaviour and response to treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The survey was carried out by Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales.

Dr. A.R. Torres received a postdoctoral scholarship from CAPES, a Foundation subordinated to the Ministry of Education of Brazil, to develop this study at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, UK.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Neurology and Psychiatry, Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil

    Albina R. Torres MD

  2. Health Services Research Dept., Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Paul Moran MD, Dinesh Bhugra PhD & Rachel Jenkins MD

  3. Dept. of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK

    Paul Bebbington PhD

  4. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Traolach Brugha MD

  5. Dept. of Forensic Psychiatry, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK

    Jeremy W. Coid MD

  6. Dept. of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Michael Farrell MD & Martin Prince MD

  7. Division of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Glyn Lewis PhD

  8. Social Survey Division, Office of National Statistics, London, UK

    Howard Meltzer PhD

  9. Depto. de Neurologia e Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-UNESP, Distrito de Rubião Jr., 18618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Albina R. Torres MD

Authors
  1. Albina R. Torres MD
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  2. Paul Moran MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Albina R. Torres MD.

Additional information

Research conducted at the Section of Epidemiology, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, King’s College, UK.

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Torres, A.R., Moran, P., Bebbington, P. et al. Obsessive–compulsive disorder and personality disorder. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 862–867 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0118-3

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