Phenomenology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Sudan and its association with Socio-demographic Factors

ABSTRACT

Background: Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD tend to be shaped by socio-cultural context. There are very few studies related to OCD in Sudan. Aim: This study aimed to explore the phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a sample of Sudanese patients in relation to socio-demographic factors. Methods: We reviewed the case notes of Sudanese patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder who presented to a psychiatry clinic in Khartoum, Sudan during a period of two years. Data was collected using a checklist of obsessive and compulsive features, subtypes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, comorbidities, as well as socio-demographic data. Results: Eighty-nine Sudanese patients were included in this study. The mean age of the first onset of the disorder was 21.72 years (SD ±7.51). The most common obsession among participants was doubting followed by Religious thoughts while the most common compulsion was washing, then checking. Obsession of contamination was significantly higher in females while religious obsessions were more common in males. Obsession of contamination and compulsive washing was significantly associated with younger age of onset. Conclusion: Common features of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Sudanese patients are doubts, religious thoughts, contamination obsession, and washing compulsion which is likely to be related to the strong emphasis on traditional values and religiosity in Sudanese culture.