Background: The goal of this study was to
investigate the co-occurrence of depressive disorders in
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the effect of these
disorders on combined pharmacologic and behavioral treatment for
OCD.
Method: A retrospective chart analysis was
performed on baseline ratings of 120 OCD patients and
posttreatment ratings of 72 of these patients. For depressive
symptoms, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the
Self-Rating Depression Scale were applied; for
obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the Yale-Brown Obsessive
Compulsive Scale and the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory
were used; and for general anxiety symptoms, the Self-Rating
Anxiety Scale, the Clinical Anxiety Scale, and the State-Trait
Anxiety Inventory were given.
Results: One third of the OCD patients in our
sample were found to be depressed. Symptom severity on OCD
symptoms at baseline did not differ between depressed and
nondepressed OCD patients; on general anxiety symptoms, the
comorbid group was more severely affected. Both depressed and
nondepressed OCD patients responded well to treatment, as
reflected in assessments for depressive, obsessive-compulsive,
and general anxiety symptoms. However, comorbid depression had a
negative effect on treatment: depressed OCD patients showed less
improvement than nondepressed OCD patients on most scales.
Conclusion: Depression frequently accompanies
OCD and appears to affect treatment outcome negatively. While
both groups of patients improved with combination treatment, the
OCD- alone group had more improvement than the group that had
comorbid depression.
J Clin Psychiatry 2002;63(12):1106-1112
© Copyright 2002 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.