Lifetime-comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder and subclinical obsessive-compulsive disorder in northern Germany

Objective Inspite of the worldwide relevance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there is a substantial lack of data on comorbidity in OCD and subclinical OCD in the general population. Methods German versions of the DSM-IV adapted Composite International Diagnostic Interview were administered to a representative sample of 4075 persons aged 18–64 years, living in a northern German region. Results In both genders, high rates of comorbid depressive disorders were found in OCD and subclinical OCD, whereas somatoform pain disorder was only associated with OCD. In female subjects, OCD was additionally associated with social and specific phobias, alcohol, nicotine and sedative dependence, PTSD and atypical eating disorder. Conclusion Due to low comorbidity rates, subclinical OCD seems to represent an independent syndrome not restricted to the presence of other axis-I diagnoses. Comorbidity patterns show a disposition to anxiety and to depressive disorders in OCD and subclinical OCD. A broad association with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders could not be confirmed in our general population sample.