Investigation of affective temperaments and chronobiology in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Introduction

Comorbid mood disorders affect negatively the prognosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Affective temperaments are assumed to be subsyndromal symptoms and precursors of mood disorders but its effects on OCD outcome remain unclear. There is a body of evidence, which supports the association between circadian rhythm disturbances and mood disorders in literature. In contrast, there is limited data concerning the effects of chronobiological preference among the patients with OCD and OCD comorbid mood disorders.

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the clinical effects of affective temperaments and chronotype differences in patients with OCD.

Methods

The research was performed in patients with OCD which have been under treatment at least for 12 weeks (n = 76) and healthy controls (n = 55). Yale Brown Obsession Compulsion Scale, TEMPS-A, Morningness and Eveningness Questionnaire, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used in the study.

Results

There were higher scores in depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments in patients with OCD compared to the healthy group. There were significant differences between patients with remission and not remission in depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments. Compared to healthy group eveningness chronotype was more frequent in patients; however the difference was not statistically significant. The OCD patients did not differ from comorbid anxiety, depression and remission levels according to the chronotype.

Conclusion

Understanding the effects of affective temperaments and chronotype differences on the outcome of patients with OCD, may provide developing new treatment approaches in especially treatment resistant OCD patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.