ABSTRACT
Background: Co-morbidity with obsessive-compulsive symptoms is often misdiagnosed or even neglected by psychiatrists. It has been suggested that obsessive-compulsive co morbidity leads to a poorer clinical course, lower levels of functioning, and longer periods of hospitalization compared with schizophrenics who are not obsessive-compulsives. Present study aims to address the issue by exploring the co-morbidity of obsessive compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia and to see their relationship in clinical setting
Methods: The study was conducted at Department of Psychiatry, Services Institute of Medical Sciences and Services hospital, Lahore from September 2003 to May 2004. One hundred and eighty patients with schizophrenia diagnosed on the basis of DSM-IV were included in the study. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia [PANSS] was administered to assess the severity of the positive and negative symptoms. Same patients were evaluated for obsessions and compulsions using Padua Inventory [Pl]
Results: Sample of the patients having schizophrenia co-morbidity with obsessive compulsive symptoms was having mean age of 32 years. Among them, 45.6 % were males, 54.6 % were females and 78 [43.3 %] patients with schizophrenia were having Obsessive Compulsive symptoms. Results show that Obsessive Compulsive symptoms were significantly co morbid with schizophrenia. The correlation was significant for positive and general psychopathology symptoms, whereas, no significant relationship was found for negative symptoms
Conclusion: Obsessive Compulsive symptoms significantly co morbid in patients suffering from schizophrenia with positive symptoms