Family functioning and the levels of depression and anxiety in patients with Obsessive compulsive disorder

Objective: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, distressing and disabling disorder that has negative effects on social and leisure activities, occupational, school and family settings. The aim of this study is to determine the family functioning and the levels of depression and anxiety in patients with OCD and compare them with healthy controls.

Methods: Forty consecutive patients OCD, who were admitted to the outpatient clinic, were recruited to participate in the study. The control group consisted of 40 healthy hospital employees and their relatives. OCD patients and control subjects were matched for sociodemographic characteristics. Psychiatric disorders were assessed by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (SCID-I) in patients. The levels of depression, anxiety and family functioning were assessed with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) and the family Assessment Device (FAD), respectively.

Results: Compared with the control group, OCD patients had significantly higher anxiety and depression scores and more deterioration in problem solving, communication, affective responsiveness, behavior control, affective involvement, family roles and general functions scores.

Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that there was a deterioration in family functions in patients with OCD. Therefore, approaches targeting family functions may be beneficial in the treatment of these patients.