Obsessive compulsive disorders in eating disorders

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore current and lifetime prevalence of obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) in eating disorder (ED) subgroups and subtypes defined by the DSM-IV and to study the chronology of appearance of these disorders taking into account the role played by denutrition.

Method: Current and lifetime prevalence were investigated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale in a sample of 89 DSM-IV ED patients (58 AN and 31 BN) and 89 matched controls.

Results: Current and lifetime prevalence of OCD in ED was significantly higher than in general population (15.7% and 19% vs. 0% and 1.1%, P<.05). Anorexic patients presented a slightly higher current and lifetime comorbidity than bulimic patients (19% and 22.4% vs. 9.7% and 12.9%, n.s.). Purging anorexia was the diagnostic subtype, which presented the higher prevalences (29% and 43%), followed by restrictive anorexia (16%) and purging bulimia (13%). In the great majority of cases (65%), OCD diagnosis preceded ED diagnosis. Finally, OCD current prevalence and Y-BOCS scores of underweight patients were not significantly higher than normal-weight patients, suggesting that there were only limited links between denutrition and obsessionality.