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

Author(s)

Torres, Albina R. ^[1] ; Fontenelle, Leonardo F. ^[2] ; Ferrao, Ygor A. ^[3] ; do Rosario, Maria Conceicao ^[4] ; Torresan, Ricardo C. ; Miguel, Euripedes C. ^[5] ; Shavitt, Roseli G. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, FMB, Dept Neurol Psicol & Psiquiatria, Botucatu Med Sch, BR-18618970 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Psychiat, Anxiety & Depress Res Program, Rio De Janeiro, RJ - Brazil

^[3] Fed Univ Hlth Sci Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychiat & Psychol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH; v. 46, n. 6, p. 724-732, JUN 2012.
• Web of Science Citations: 37

Abstract

Background: Factor 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. Method: A 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. Results: Approximately 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. Conclusion: OCD 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. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/55628-8 - Phenotypic, genetic, immunological and neurobiological characterization of the obsessive compulsive disorder and its implications for treatment
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants