Open AccessClassification of comorbidity in obsessive–compulsive disorder: A latent class analysis
Author(s) -
Oudheusden Lucas J. B.,
Schoot Rens,
Hoogendoorn Adriaan,
Oppen Patricia,
Kaarsemaker Maarten,
Meynen Gerben,
Balkom Anton J. L. M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.1641
Subject(s) - comorbidity , latent class model , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , anxiety , personality disorders , personality , social psychology , statistics , mathematics
Objective Patients with OCD differ markedly from one another in both number and kind of comorbid disorders. In this study, we set out to identify and characterize homogeneous subgroups of OCD patients based on their comorbidity profile. Methods In a cohort of 419 adult subjects with OCD, the lifetime presence of fifteen comorbid disorders was assessed. Latent class analysis was used to identify comorbidity‐based subgroups. Groups were compared with regard to core clinical characteristics: familiality, childhood trauma, age at onset, illness severity, OCD symptom dimensions, personality characteristics, and course of illness. Results The study sample could be divided in a large group ( n = 311) with a low amount of comorbidity that could be further subdivided into two subgroups: OCD simplex ( n = 147) and OCD with lifetime major depressive disorder ( n = 186), and a group ( n = 108) with a high amount of comorbidity that could be further subdivided into a general anxiety‐related subgroup ( n = 49), an autism/social phobia‐related subgroup ( n = 27), and a psychosis/bipolar‐related subgroup ( n = 10). Membership of the high‐comorbid subgroup was associated with higher scores on childhood trauma, illness severity, and the aggression/checking symptom dimension and lower scores on several personality characteristics. Conclusion Grouping OCD patients based on their comorbidity profile might provide more homogeneous, and therefore, more suitable categories for future studies aimed at unraveling the etiological mechanisms underlying this debilitating disorder.