Skip to main content
Log in

Comparing two basic subtypes in OCD across three large community samples: a pure compulsive versus a mixed obsessive–compulsive subtype

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Due to its heterogeneous phenomenology, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has been subtyped. However, these subtypes are not mutually exclusive. This study presents an alternative subtyping approach by deriving non-overlapping OCD subtypes. A pure compulsive and a mixed obsessive–compulsive subtype (including subjects manifesting obsessions with/without compulsions) were analyzed with respect to a broad pattern of psychosocial risk factors and comorbid syndromes/diagnoses in three representative Swiss community samples: the Zurich Study (n = 591), the ZInEP sample (n = 1500), and the PsyCoLaus sample (n = 3720). A selection of comorbidities was examined in a pooled database. Odds ratios were derived from logistic regressions and, in the analysis of pooled data, multilevel models. The pure compulsive subtype showed a lower age of onset and was characterized by few associations with psychosocial risk factors. The higher social popularity of the pure compulsive subjects and their families was remarkable. Comorbidities within the pure compulsive subtype were mainly restricted to phobias. In contrast, the mixed obsessive–compulsive subtype had a higher prevalence and was associated with various childhood adversities, more familial burden, and numerous comorbid disorders, including disorders characterized by high impulsivity. The current comparison study across three representative community surveys presented two basic, distinct OCD subtypes associated with differing psychosocial impairment. Such highly specific subtypes offer the opportunity to learn about pathophysiological mechanisms specifically involved in OCD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abramowitz JS, Franklin ME, Schwartz SA, Furr JM (2003) Symptom presentation and outcome of cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol 71:1049–1057

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ajdacic-Gross V, Muller M, Rodgers S, Warnke I, Hengartner MP, Landolt K, Hagenmuller F, Meier M, Tse LT, Aleksandrowicz A, Passardi M, Knopfli D, Schonfelder H, Eisele J, Rusch N, Haker H, Kawohl W, Rossler W (2014) The ZInEP Epidemiology Survey: background, design and methods. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 23:451–468

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ajdacic-Gross V, Rodgers S, Müller M, Hengartner MP, Aleksandrowicz A, Kawohl W, Heekeren K, Rössler W, Angst J, Castelao E, Vandeleur C, Preisig M (2014) Pure subtypes make a big difference. Distinctive versus fuzzy subtyping in specific phobias(submitted)

  4. Altman SE, Shankman SA (2009) What is the association between obsessive–compulsive disorder and eating disorders? Clin Psychol Rev 29:638–646

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Angst J, Azorin JM, Bowden CL, Perugi G, Vieta E, Gamma A, Young AH (2011) Prevalence and characteristics of undiagnosed bipolar disorders in patients with a major depressive episode: the BRIDGE study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 68:791–798

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Angst J, Dobler-Mikola A, Binder J (1984) The Zurich study—a prospective epidemiological study of depressive, neurotic and psychosomatic syndromes. I. Problem, methodology. Eur Arch Psychiatry Neurol Sci 234:13–20

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Angst J, Gamma A, Endrass J, Goodwin R, Ajdacic V, Eich D, Rossler W (2004) Obsessive–compulsive severity spectrum in the community: prevalence, comorbidity, and course. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 254:156–164

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Angst J, Gamma A, Endrass J, Hantouche E, Goodwin R, Ajdacic V, Eich D, Rossler W (2005) Obsessive–compulsive syndromes and disorders: significance of comorbidity with bipolar and anxiety syndromes. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 255:65–71

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Angst J, Gamma A, Neuenschwander M, Ajdacic-Gross V, Eich D, Rössler W, Merikangas KR (2005) Prevalence of mental disorders in the Zurich cohort study: a twenty year prospective study. Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc 14:68–76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Berney A, Preisig M, Matthey ML, Ferrero F, Fenton BT (2002) diagnostic interview for genetic studies (DIGS): inter-rater and test–retest reliability of alcohol and drug diagnosis. Drug Alcohol Depend 65:149–158

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bernstein DP, Ahluvalia T, Pogge D, Handelsman L (1997) Validity of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in an adolescent psychiatric population. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:340–348

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bernstein DP, Fink L (1998) Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: a retrospective self-report. Psychological Corporation, San Antonio

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bernstein DP, Stein JA, Newcomb MD, Walker E, Pogge D, Ahluvalia T, Stokes J, Handelsman L, Medrano M, Desmond D, Zule W (2003) Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Child Abuse Negl 27:169–190

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bloch MH, Landeros-Weisenberger A, Rosario MC, Pittenger C, Leckman JF (2008) Meta-analysis of the symptom structure of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry 165:1532–1542

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Breslau N, Peterson EL, Kessler RC, Schultz LR (1999) Short screening scale for DSM-IV posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry 156:908–911

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Carter AS, Pollock RA (2000) Obsessive compulsive disorder in childhood. Curr Opin Pediatr 12:325–330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Chabane N, Delorme R (2007) Obsessive–compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Rev Prat 57:45–51

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dalley JW, Everitt BJ, Robbins TW (2011) Impulsivity, compulsivity, and top-down cognitive control. Neuron 69:680–694

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Delucchi KL, Katerberg H, Stewart SE, Denys DA, Lochner C, Stack DE, den Boer JA, van Balkom AJ, Jenike MA, Stein DJ, Cath DC, Mathews CA (2011) Latent class analysis of the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale symptoms in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Compr Psychiatry 52:334–341

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Derogatis RL (1977) Symptom Checklist 90, R-version manual I: scoring, administration, and procedures for the SCL-90. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  21. Elkins IJ, McGue M, Iacono WG (2007) Prospective effects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and sex on adolescent substance use and abuse. Arch Gen Psychiatry 64:1145–1152

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Falret JP (1866) Discussion sur la folie raisonnante. Ann Med Psychol 24:382–426

    Google Scholar 

  23. Fineberg NA, Hengartner MP, Bergbaum C, Gale T, Rossler W, Angst J (2013) Remission of obsessive–compulsive disorders and syndromes; evidence from a prospective community cohort study over 30 years. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 17:179–187

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Fineberg NA, Hengartner MP, Bergbaum CE, Gale TM, Gamma A, Ajdacic-Gross V, Rossler W, Angst J (2013) A prospective population-based cohort study of the prevalence, incidence and impact of obsessive–compulsive symptomatology. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 17:170–178

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Firmann M, Mayor V, Vidal PM, Bochud M, Pecoud A, Hayoz D, Paccaud F, Preisig M, Song KS, Yuan X, Danoff TM, Stirnadel HA, Waterworth D, Mooser V, Waeber G, Vollenweider P (2008) The CoLaus study: a population-based study to investigate the epidemiology and genetic determinants of cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 8:6

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Fullana MA, Mataix-Cols D, Caspi A, Harrington H, Grisham JR, Moffitt TE, Poulton R (2009) Obsessions and compulsions in the community: prevalence, interference, help-seeking, developmental stability, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Am J Psychiatry 166:329–336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Gillan CM, Sahakian BJ (2015) Which is the driver, the obsessions or the compulsions, in OCD? Neuropsychopharmacology 40:247–248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Grabe HJ, Meyer C, Hapke U, Rumpf HJ, Freyberger HJ, Dilling H, John U (2001) Lifetime-comorbidity of obsessive–compulsive disorder and subclinical obsessive–compulsive disorder in Northern Germany. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 251:130–135

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Grisham JR, Fullana MA, Mataix-Cols D, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Poulton R (2011) Risk factors prospectively associated with adult obsessive–compulsive symptom dimensions and obsessive–compulsive disorder. Psychol Med 41:2495–2506

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hantouche EG, Lancrenon S (1996) Modern typology of symptoms and obsessive–compulsive syndromes: results of a large French study of 615 patients. L'Encéphale 22 Spec No 1:9–21

  31. Hardt J, Egle UT, Kappis B, Hessel A, Brahler E (2004) Symptom checklist SCL-27. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 54:214–223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Helbing ML, Ficca M (2009) Obsessive–compulsive disorder in school-age children. J Sch Nurs 25:15–26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hochstrasser B, Angst J (1996) The Zurich study: XXII. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal complaints and comorbidity with anxiety and depression. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 246:261–272

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Katerberg H, Delucchi KL, Stewart SE, Lochner C, Denys DA, Stack DE, Andresen JM, Grant JE, Kim SW, Williams KA, den Boer JA, van Balkom AJ, Smit JH, van Oppen P, Polman A, Jenike MA, Stein DJ, Mathews CA, Cath DC (2010) Symptom dimensions in OCD: item-level factor analysis and heritability estimates. Behav Genet 40:505–517

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Kendell RE (1974) The stability of psychiatric diagnoses. Br J Psychiatry 124:352–356

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Lee SS, Hinshaw SP (2006) Predictors of adolescent functioning in girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): the role of childhood ADHD, conduct problems, and peer status. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 35:356–368

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Lochner C, Stein DJ (2001) Gender in obsessive–compulsive disorder and obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders. Arch Womens Ment Health 4:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Mataix-Cols D (2006) Deconstructing obsessive–compulsive disorder: a multidimensional perspective. Curr Opin Psychiatry 19:84–89

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Mataix-Cols D, Rosario-Campos MC, Leckman JF (2005) A multidimensional model of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatry 162:228–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. McKay D, Abramowitz JS, Calamari JE, Kyrios M, Radomsky A, Sookman D, Taylor S, Wilhelm S (2004) A critical evaluation of obsessive–compulsive disorder subtypes: symptoms versus mechanisms. Clin Psychol Rev 24:283–313

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Merikangas KR, Zhang H, Avenevoli S, Acharyya S, Neuenschwander M, Angst J (2003) Longitudinal trajectories of depression and anxiety in a prospective community study: the Zurich Cohort Study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 60:993–1000

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Miguel EC, Leckman JF, Rauch S, do Rosario-Campos MC, Hounie AG, Mercadante MT, Chacon P, Pauls DL (2005) Obsessive–compulsive disorder phenotypes: implications for genetic studies. Mol Psychiatry 10:258–275

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Muthén LK, Muthén BO (1998–2012) Mplus User’s Guide. 7th edn. In: Muthén & Muthén, Los Angeles, CA

  44. Nestadt G, Samuels J, Riddle MA, Liang KY, Bienvenu OJ, Hoehn-Saric R, Grados M, Cullen B (2001) The relationship between obsessive–compulsive disorder and anxiety and affective disorders: results from the Johns Hopkins OCD Family Study. Psychol Med 31:481–487

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Novy J, Castelao E, Preisig M, Vidal PM, Waeber G, Vollenweider P, Rossetti AO (2012) Psychiatric co-morbidities and cardiovascular risk factors in people with lifetime history of epilepsy of an urban community. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 114:26–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Nurnberger JI Jr, Blehar MC, Kaufmann CA, York-Cooler C, Simpson SG, Harkavy-Friedman J, Severe JB, Malaspina D, Reich T (1994) Diagnostic interview for genetic studies. Rationale, unique features, and training. NIMH genetics initiative. Arch Gen Psychiatry 51:849–859 discussion 863–844

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Prado HS, Rosario MC, Lee J, Hounie AG, Shavitt RG, Miguel EC (2008) Sensory phenomena in obsessive–compulsive disorder and tic disorders: a review of the literature. CNS Spectr 13:425–432

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Preisig M, Fenton BT, Matthey ML, Berney A, Ferrero F (1999) Diagnostic interview for genetic studies (DIGS): inter-rater and test–retest reliability of the French version. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 249:174–179

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Preisig M, Waeber G, Vollenweider P, Bovet P, Rothen S, Vandeleur C, Guex P, Middleton L, Waterworth D, Mooser V, Tozzi F, Muglia P (2009) The PsyCoLaus study: methodology and characteristics of the sample of a population-based survey on psychiatric disorders and their association with genetic and cardiovascular risk factors. BMC Psychiatry 9:9

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Rasmussen SA, Eisen JL (1994) The epidemiology and differential diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 55(Suppl):5–10 discussion 11–14

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Ravizza L, Maina G, Bogetto F (1997) Episodic and chronic obsessive–compulsive disorder. Depress Anxiety 6:154–158

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Retz-Junginger P, Retz W, Blocher D, Stieglitz RD, Georg T, Supprian T, Wender PH, Rosler M (2003) Reliability and validity of the Wender-Utah-Rating-Scale short form. Retrospective assessment of symptoms for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Nervenarzt 74:987–993

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Retz-Junginger P, Retz W, Blocher D, Weijers HG, Trott GE, Wender PH, Rossler M (2002) Wender Utah Rating Scale. The short-version for the assessment of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. Nervenarzt 73:830–838

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Retz-Junginger P, Retz W, Schneider M, Schwitzgebel P, Steinbach E, Hengesch G, Rosler M (2007) Gender differences in self-descriptions of child psychopathology in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nervenarzt 78:1046–1051

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Rosler M, Retz W, Retz-Junginger P, Thome J, Supprian T, Nissen T, Stieglitz RD, Blocher D, Hengesch G, Trott GE (2004) Tools for the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults. Self-rating behaviour questionnaire and diagnostic checklist. Nervenarzt 75:888–895

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Rosler M, Retz W, Retz-Junginger P, Hengesch G, Schneider M, Supprian T et al (2004) Prevalence of attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 254:365–371

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Rossler W, Ajdacic-Gross V, Haker H, Rodgers S, Muller M, Hengartner MP (2015) Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 24:69–77

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Rossler W, Hengartner MP, Ajdacic-Gross V, Haker H, Angst J (2014) Impact of childhood adversity on the onset and course of subclinical psychosis symptoms—results from a 30-year prospective community study. Schizophr Res 153:189–195

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Rossler W, Riecher-Rossler A, Angst J, Murray R, Gamma A, Eich D, van Os J, Gross VA (2007) Psychotic experiences in the general population: a twenty-year prospective community study. Schizophr Res 92:1–14

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Rossler W, Vetter S, Muller M, Gallo WT, Haker H, Kawohl W, Lupi G, Ajdacic-Gross V (2011) Risk factors at the low end of the psychosis continuum: much the same as at the upper end? Psychiatry Res 189:77–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Steketee G, Chambless DL, Tran GQ (2001) Effects of axis I and II comorbidity on behavior therapy outcome for obsessive–compulsive disorder and agoraphobia. Compr Psychiatry 42:76–86

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Sturm R (2009) Obsessive–compulsive disorder in children: the role of nurse practitioners. J Am Acad Nurse Pract 21:393–401

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Swets M, Dekker J, van Emmerik-van Oortmerssen K, Smid GE, Smit F, de Haan L, Schoevers RA (2014) The obsessive compulsive spectrum in schizophrenia, a meta-analysis and meta-regression exploring prevalence rates. Schizophr Res 152:458–468

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Taylor S (2011) Early versus late onset obsessive–compulsive disorder: evidence for distinct subtypes. Clin Psychol Rev 31:1083–1100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Toro J, Cervera M, Osejo E, Salamero M (1992) Obsessive–compulsive disorder in childhood and adolescence: a clinical study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 33:1025–1037

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Tukel R, Polat A, Ozdemir O, Aksut D, Turksoy N (2002) Comorbid conditions in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Compr Psychiatry 43:204–209

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Visser HA, van Oppen P, van Megen HJ, Eikelenboom M, van Balkom AJ (2014) Obsessive–compulsive disorder; chronic versus non-chronic symptoms. J Affect Disord 152–154:169–174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Williams MT, Farris SG, Turkheimer E, Pinto A, Ozanick K, Franklin ME, Liebowitz M, Simpson HB, Foa EB (2011) Myth of the pure obsessional type in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Depress Anxiety 28:495–500

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Wright A, Rickards H, Cavanna AE (2012) Impulse-control disorders in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 24:16–27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Wulff H (2006) Childhood trauma questionnaire. Entwicklung einer deutschsprachigen version und überprüfung bei psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutisch behandelten patienten. Universität Lübeck, Lübeck

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all the participants who participated in the epidemiological surveys as well as all the interviewers who collected the data. The Zurich Study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. 32-50881.97). ZInEP was supported by a private donation. The donor had no further role in experimental design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of this report, or the decision to submit this paper for publication. The PsyCoLaus study was and is supported by research grants from GlaxoSmithKline, the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of Lausanne, and the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grants 3200B0–105993, 3200B0-118308, 33CSCO-122661, 33CS30-139468, and 33CS30-148401).

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie Rodgers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rodgers, S., Ajdacic-Gross, V., Kawohl, W. et al. Comparing two basic subtypes in OCD across three large community samples: a pure compulsive versus a mixed obsessive–compulsive subtype. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 265, 719–734 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0594-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0594-0

Keywords

Navigation