Quality of Life in OCD: Differential Impact of Obsessions, Compulsions, and Depression Comorbidity

Objective: An anxiety disorder severely affects the sufferer's quality of life (QOL), and this may be particularly true of those with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). This study examines the differential impact of obsessions, compulsions, and depression comorbidity on the QOL of individuals with OCD. Method: Forty-three individuals diagnosed with OCD according to DSM-IV criteria and experiencing clinically significant obsessions and compulsions completed measures of QOL, obsessive–compulsive symptom severity, and depression severity. Results: Obsession severity was found to significantly predict patient QOL, whereas the severity of compulsive rituals did not impact on QOL ratings. Comorbid depression severity was the single greatest predictor of poor QOL, accounting for 54% of the variance. Conclusions: Given the importance of these symptoms, treatments that directly target obsessions and secondary depression symptoms in OCD are warranted. However, replication of these findings in a prospective cohort study is required, because although the the current study's cross-sectional design allows for the examination of the associations among obsessions, depression, and QOL, it cannot establish their temporal framework (that is, causal relations).

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Cyberchondria severity and quality of life among Lebanese adults: the mediating role of fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, stress and obsessive–compulsive behavior—a structural equation model approach

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-021-00674-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Clara Rahme ◽

Marwan Akel ◽

Sahar Obeid ◽

Souheil Hallit

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Equation Model ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Compulsive Disorder

Abstract Background This study highlights the significant association between cyberchondria and quality of life among the Lebanese population in the time of COVID-19. The aim was to assess the association between cyberchondria and quality of life (QOL) of Lebanese community during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the mediating effect of fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, stress and Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale in this association. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 449 persons participated in this study by filling the online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the structural relationship between cyberchondria severity, the mediator (anxiety, stress, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and fear of COVID-19) and physical/mental QOL. Results Having a university level of education and older age were significantly associated with higher physical QOL scores, whereas higher obsession-compulsion disorder, higher stress and higher anxiety were significantly associated with lower physical QOL scores. Higher anxiety was significantly associated with lower mental QOL scores. The results of the SEM showed that stress, fear of COVID-19 and to a lesser limit OCD, mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and physical QOL, whereas anxiety, stress and fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and mental QOL. Conclusion This research reported interesting results encouraging more exploration of cyberchondria and its association with quality of life during this unique period of the pandemic. However, this virus has altered the lives of individuals all across the world, and the consequences will last for a long time. Along with all of the steps done to stop the development of COVID-19 and improve physical outcomes, mental health requires immediate care. More research is needed to determine the coping techniques people are employing to deal with the pandemic.

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Four-year course of quality of life and obsessive–compulsive disorder

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s00127-019-01779-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (8) ◽

pp. 989-1000 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karin C. P. Remmerswaal ◽

Neeltje M. Batelaan ◽

Adriaan W. Hoogendoorn ◽

Nic J. A. van der Wee ◽

Patricia van Oppen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Data Sets ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Comorbid Anxiety

Abstract Objective Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have high disease burden. It is important to restore quality of life (QoL) in treatment, so that patients become able to live a fulfilling life. Little is known about the longitudinal course of QoL in patients with OCD, its association with remission from OCD, and about factors that contribute to an unfavourable course of QoL in remitting patients. Methods Study on the 4-year course of QoL of patients with chronic (n = 144), intermittent (n = 22), and remitting OCD (n = 73) using longitudinal data of the Netherlands Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Association (NOCDA; complete data: n = 239; imputed data n = 382). The EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D) utility score was used to assess QoL. In patients with remitting OCD, we examined patient characteristics that contributed to an unfavourable course of QoL, including sociodemographics, OCD characteristics, psychiatric comorbidity, and personality traits. Results Course of QoL was associated with course of OCD. QoL improved in those who remitted from OCD; however, even in these patients, QoL remained significantly below the population norms. The correlation between QoL and severity of OCD was only moderate: r = − 0.40 indicating that other factors besides OCD severity contribute to QoL. In remitters, more severe anxiety and depression symptoms were related to a lower QoL. Results were similar in complete and imputed data sets. Conclusions Remission from OCD is associated with improvement of QoL, but comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms hamper the improvement of QoL. QoL could be improved by reducing OCD symptoms in patients with OCD and by treating comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms in remitting patients.

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Extended-release fluvoxamine and improvements in quality of life in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Comprehensive Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.comppsych.2009.10.001 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 373-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Lorrin M. Koran ◽

Daniel Bromberg ◽

Carl S. Hornfeldt ◽

John C. Shepski ◽

Shirley Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Extended Release ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder

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Quality of Life in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900025025 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 5 (S4) ◽

pp. 37-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Dan J. Stein ◽

Andrea Allen ◽

Julio Bobes ◽

Jane L. Eisen ◽

M. L. Figuera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

World Economy ◽

Negative Impact ◽

General Medicine ◽

Psychiatric Research ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Occupational Function

AbstractThe construct of quality of life (QOL), which has both subjective and objective components, has gained increasing importance in psychiatric research for several important reasons, not the least being the current importance of pharmacoeconomic issues. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been suggested to be the worlds 10th most disabling disorder, and pharmacoeconomic studies have indicated that its cost to the world economy runs into the billions of dollars. The use of QOL scales derived from general medicine and other areas of psychiatry has demonstrated the enormous negative impact of OCD on several domains, including occupational function, social function, and family function. Further work to ascertain the extent of changes in QOL during treatment of OCD is necessary.

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Quality of life of patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Bangladesh Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.3329/bjpsy.v29i1.32747 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 18-22

Author(s):

Fahmida Ahmed ◽

Meherunnessa Begum ◽

Md Abdul Wahab ◽

Sayed Kamaluddin Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Psychological Health ◽

World Health ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Health Domain ◽

Quality Of Life Scale

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a severe and debilitating anxiety disorder which causes severely impaired quality of life. The objective of the study was to assess the quality of life of the patients suffering from OCD. It was a cross-sectional study conducted from January 2011 to June 2011 among 46 patients who attended the out-patient department of the National Institute of Mental Health Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh and Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh by using purposive sampling technique. A Semi-structured questionnaire, Dhaka University Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DUOCS), World Health Organization Quality of Life-Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder, 4th edition (DSM-IV) were used in each case for this assessment. Results showed that mean age of the patients was (29.07±6.11) years, majority of the respondents (71.7%) were male, 63.0% were unmarried and 34.8% were students. Patients were least satisfied with social domain and patients having only obsession had lower mean score (23.54±1.80) in environmental domain than in patients having both obsession and compulsion (25.15±3.70). OCD patients having major conflict (52.2%) were least satisfied with environmental health domain and patients suffering from OCD for more than ten years (78.3%) had low score than those suffering for less than ten years (21.7%) in overall quality of life domain. Patients having strained family relationship (34.8%) were less satisfied to psychological health domain and patients getting medication (91.3%) had better quality of life in all domains than those getting no medication (8.7%).Bang J Psychiatry June 2015; 29(1): 18-22

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Adult obsessive–compulsive disorder and quality of life outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Asian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.ajp.2016.02.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. 41-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Anna Coluccia ◽

Andrea Fagiolini ◽

Fabio Ferretti ◽

Andrea Pozza ◽

Giulia Costoloni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Quality Of Life Outcomes

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Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder before and after treatment

Comprehensive Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.comppsych.2005.04.002 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 453-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Steffen Moritz ◽

Michael Rufer ◽

Susanne Fricke ◽

Anne Karow ◽

Matthias Morfeld ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Before And After

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Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Pilot Study on HIV and Quality of Life and a Suggested Cure for HIV and AIDS

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1100/tsw.2004.24 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 264-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Søren Ventegodt ◽

Trine Flensborg-Madsen ◽

Niels Jørgen Andersen ◽

Mohammed Morad ◽

Joav Merrick

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Hiv And Aids ◽

Cd4 Count ◽

Holistic Medicine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Ethical Attitude ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Clinically Significant ◽

Higher Consciousness

This study was undertaken to examine the association between the immunological impact of HIV (measured by CD4 count) and global self-assessed quality of life (QOL) (measured with QOL1) for people suffering from HIV, to see if the connection was large and statistically strong enough to support our hypothesis of a strong QOL-immunological connection through the nonspecific, nonreceptor-mediated immune system, and thus to give a rationale for a holistic cure for HIV. This cross-sectional population study in Uganda included 20 HIV infected persons with no symptoms of AIDS and a CD4 count above 200 mill./liter. The main outcome measures were CD4 count, global QOL measured with the validated questionnaire QOL1, translated to Luganda and translated back to English. We found a large, clinically significant correlation between the number of T-helper cells (CD4) and global self-assessed quality of life (QOL1) (r = 0.57, p = 0.021), when controlled for age, gender, and years of infection. Together with other studies and holistic medicine theory, the results have given rationale for a holistic cure for HIV. We suggest, based on our findings and theoretical considerations, that HIV patients who improve their global QOL, also will improve their CD4 counts. Using the technique of holistic medicine based on the life mission theory and the holistic process theory of healing, we hypothesize that the improvement of QOL can have sufficient biological effect on the CD4, which could avoid or postpone the development of AIDS. A holistic HIV/AIDS cure improving the QOL draws on hidden resources in the person and is thus affordable for everybody. Improving global QOL also means a higher consciousness and a more ethical attitude, making it more difficult for the HIV-infected person to pass on the infection.

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