Quality of life in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an evaluation of impairment and a preliminary analysis of the ameliorating effects of treatment

✍ Scribed by Melissa M. Norberg; John E. Calamari; Robyn J. Cohen; Bradley C. Riemann

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 150 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1091-4269
• DOI: 10.1002/da.20298

✦ Synopsis

Despite the substantial impairments in life functioning associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment outcome evaluations have focused almost exclusively on symptom reduction, a focus that may be too narrow to determine whether clinically significant change has occurred. Quality of life (QOL) impairment was evaluated in a clinical OCD sample (N 5 188) using a multidimensional life satisfaction measure. Relationships between treatment response and QOL change also were evaluated with a subsample of participants (n 5 120). Congruent with previous studies of OCD, substantial pretreatment QOL impairment was found across all life domains. Distinct treatment change subgroups were identified: a group reporting strong symptom reduction and very good QOL gains, a second group with significant symptom reduction but less robust QOL improvements, and a third group with limited symptom gains and QOL decreases. Implications for understanding OCD-related impairment and the clinical significance of treatment outcomes are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 25:248-259, 2008.