Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T07:24:36.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Insight in obsessive–compulsive disorder: a study of an Italian sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Donatella Marazziti*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Liliana Dell’Osso
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Elena Di Nasso
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Chiara Pfanner
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Silvio Presta
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Francesco Mungai
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
Giovanni B. Cassano
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy
*
*E-mail address:[email protected] (D. Marazziti).
Get access

Summary

Insight is a complex phenomenon that can be interpreted according to a dimensional model. Given the controversial data of insight in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), our study aimed to investigate insight in an Italian sample of patients with OCD by means of the specific item on the Yale–Brown obsessive–compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) and to explore the possible correlations between it and clinical features. One hundred and seventeen out-patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD and different comorbid psychiatric disorders were included in the study and assessed by means of the Y-BOCS, Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD) and the global clinical impression. The results showed that almost 50% of the patients had an excellent level of insight and 15% had a little or no insight. No correlation between levels of insight and clinical features was observed, except for a negative trend with the presence of somatic obsessions. In addition, a trend towards a lower level of insight was observed in those bipolar patients with a positive history of repeated manic or hypomanic episodes. Further studies seem to be necessary in order to establish whether or not OCD patients with poor insight represent a distinct sub-group of patients.

Type
Original article
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amador, X.F.Strauss, D.H.Yale, S.A.Flaum, M.M.Endicott, J.Gorman, J.M.Assessment of insight in psychosis. Am J Psychiatr 1993; 150 (6): 873–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Amador, X.F.Strauss, D.H.Yale, S.A.Gorman, J.M.Awareness of illness in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 1991; 17 (1): 113132CrossRefGoogle Scholar
American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV)4th ed.Washington, DC: APA; 1994.Google Scholar
Black, D.W.Monahan, P.Gable, J.Blum, N.Clancy, G.Baker, P.Hoarding and treatment response in 38 non-depressed subjects with obsessive–compulsive disorder. J Clin Psychiatr 1998; 59 (8): 420–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Catapano, F.Sperandeo, R.Di Martino, S.Bartoli, L.Maj, M.Insight e resistenza nei pazienti ossessivi. G It Psicopatologia 1996; 2: 126–32.Google Scholar
David, A.Insight and psychosis. Br J Psychiatr 1990; 156: 798808.Google ScholarPubMed
Eisen, J.L.Rasmussen, S.A.Obsessive–compulsive disorder with psychotic features San Francisco, CA: Poster presented at the meeting of the American Psychiatric Association; 1989.Google Scholar
Eisen, J.L.Rasmussen, S.A.Obsessive–compulsive disorder with psychotic features. J Clin Psychiatr 1993; 54: 373379.Google ScholarPubMed
First, M.B.Spitzer, R.L.Gibbon, M.Williams, J.B.V.Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis I disorder-patient Edition (SCID-I/P, Version 2.0, 4/97 revision) New York State Psychiatric Institute: Biometrics Research Department; 1997.Google Scholar
Frost, R.O.Krause, M.S.Steketee, G.Hoarding and obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Behav Modif 1996; 20: 116132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ghaemi, S.N.Boiman, E.Goodwin, F.K.Insight and outcome in bipolar, unipolar, and anxiety disorders. Compr Psychiatr 2000; 41 (3): 167–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodman, W.K.Price, L.H.Rasmussen, S.A.The Yale–Brown obsessive–compulsive scale I: development, use and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatr 1986; 46: 1006–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, W.K.Price, L.H.Rasmussen, S.A.Masure, C.Delgado, P.Heniger, G.R.et alThe Yale–Brown obsessive–compulsive scale (Y-BOCS), II: validity. Arch Gen Psychiatr 1989; 46: 1012–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenberg, D.Witzum, E.Levy, A.Hoarding as a psychiatric symptom. J Clin Psychiatr 1990; 51: 417–21.Google ScholarPubMed
Greenfeld, D.Strauss, J.S.Bowers, M.B.Mandelkem, M.Insight and interpretation of illness in recovery from psychosis. Schizophr Bull 1989; 15 (2): 245–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guy, W.ECDEU Assessment manual for psychopharmacology US Dept health, and welfare publication (ADM) Washington: Government Printing Office; 1976. 223–44Google Scholar
Hamilton, M.A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatr 1960; 6: 189–92.Google Scholar
Insel, T.R.Akiskal, H.S.Obsessive–compulsive disorder with psychotic features: a phenomenological analysis. Am J Psychiatr 1986; 143: 1527–33.Google Scholar
Kozak, M.J.Foa, E.B.Obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Behav Res Ther 1994; 32: 343–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lelliot, P.T.Noshirvani, H.F.Basoglu, M.Marks, I.M.Monteiro, W.O.Obsessive–compulsive beliefs and treatment outcome. Psychol M 1988; 18: 697702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lensi, P.Cassano, G.B.Correddu, G.Ravagli, S.Kunovac, J.L.Akiskal, H.S.Obsessive–compulsive disorder: familiar developmental history, symptomatology and course with special reference to gender-related pathogenic differences. Br J Psychiatr 1996; 169: 101–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minami, T.Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in children and preadolescents: clinical observation of inpatients. Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 1998; 100 (2): 92112Google Scholar
Nie, N.H.Hull, C.H.Steinbrenner, K.Bent, D.H.Statistical package for the social science (SPSS) 2ndNew York: Mc Graw-Hill; 1975.Google Scholar
Robinson, S.Winnik, H.A.Weiss, A.A.Obsessive psycosis. Isr Ann Psychiatr Relat Disc 1976; 14: 3948.Google Scholar
Rotter, M.Goodman, W.The relationship between insight and control in obsessive–compulsive disorder: implications for the insanity defense. Bull Acad Psychiatr Law 1993; 21 (2): 245252.Google ScholarPubMed
Solyom, L.Di Nicola, V.F.Phil, M.Sookman, D.Luchinis, D.Is there an obsessive psychosis? Aetiological and prognostic factors of atypical form of obsessive–compulsive neurosis. Can J Psychiatr 1985; 30: 372380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Winsberg, M.E.Cassic, K.S.Koran, L.M.Hoarding in obsessive–compulsive disorder: a report of 20 cases. J Clin Psychiatr 1999; 60 (9): 591597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.