Higher prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and greater gastrointestinal symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and mood symptoms often co-occur with gastrointestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The extent to which these relate to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is unclear, despite anxiety being a prominent symptom of this disorder. The purpose of this analysis was to examine gastrointestinal symptoms in unmedicated, non-depressed adult OCD patients compared to age- and sex-matched community controls. METHODS: Twenty-one OCD patients and 22 controls were recruited from the community (Hamilton, ON, Canada) and enrolled in this cross-sectional study. In addition to a standardized psychiatric assessment, participants completed clinician- and self-rated psychiatric and gastrointestinal symptom severity measures. Presence of IBS was assessed using Rome III criteria. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal symptom severity (GSRS total; OCD = 8.67 ±â€¯6.72 vs. controls = 2.32 ±â€¯2.12) and prevalence of IBS (OCD = 47.6%; Controls = 4.5%) was higher in OCD patients than in controls. A comparison of OCD patients based on IBS status revealed greater depressive symptom severity (total MADRS: 12.60 ±â€¯1.89 vs 6.91 ±â€¯2.77), p < 0.001) among those with IBS. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms may be an important clinical consideration when treating OCD patients. More specifically, assessment of IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms may be useful when considering pharmacotherapeutic treatments options for patients. Given the high comorbidity noted with IBS, a disorder of the "gut-brain axis", results may suggest a shared pathophysiological mechanism between psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders which should be explored in future research.

Prevalence of hoarding behaviours and excessive acquisition in users of online classified advertisements.

An estimated 2-6% of the general population is thought to suffer from clinically significant hoarding symptoms, with 80-90% engaging in excessive acquisition. Minimal research has examined the excessive acquisition component of hoarding disorder (HD). Many individuals with HD have limited insight into their condition and are reluctant to seek help, making prevalence estimates difficult to obtain. Online classified advertisement networks provide a venue to list items for sale, often for free. We examined the prevalence of hoarding behaviours among users of online classified advertisements. A link to an online survey was posted between June 26, 2015-March 10, 2017. Participants provided demographic information and completed the Hoarding Rating Scale (HRS); individuals with clinically significant hoarding (High HRS) also completed the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R) and Clutter Image Rating (CIR). Feedback regarding hoarding behaviours was provided. The survey was completed by 729 adults and 12.3% (n = 90) self-identified as experiencing clinically significant hoarding as per the HRS (High HRS). Of those in the High HRS group, most (66.7%) were categorized to the 'high acquisition' group based on the SI-R excessive acquisition subscale. Overall this sample revealed high rates of significant hoarding behaviours, almost double that of community samples. Excessive acquisition was prominent and associated with greater hoarding severity, highlighting the need to further study this specifier.

The impact of history of exposure to abuse on outcomes after bariatric surgery: data from the Ontario Bariatric Registry.

BACKGROUND: Studies worldwide have reported an increased prevalence of abuse histories among bariatric surgery candidates. The impact of abuse history on weight loss after surgery has not been examined in Canada. OBJECTIVES: Determine the prevalence of abuse and its impact on postoperative outcomes in Ontario, Canada. SETTING: Data from the Ontario Bariatric Registry. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of laparoscopic gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy surgeries from 2010 to 2014, for which any follow-up data were available (N = 6016). Weight loss outcomes at 3 months (n = 5147), 6 months (n = 4749), and 1 year (n = 4024) were compared between those with and without a self-reported history of any of emotional, physical or sexual abuse and those with and without a history of sexual abuse specifically. Mixed repeated measures models were adjusted for age, sex, type of surgery, and baseline body mass index. One-year postoperative occurrence of revisions or repairs, hospitalization, and death were also examined. RESULTS: The prevalence of documented abuse was 21.5%. Emotional abuse was most common (13.1%), followed by sexual abuse (10.6%), then physical abuse (8.9%). There was no significant association between presence of abuse history and weight loss at any time point in repeated measures analyses. CONCLUSION: Abuse histories are common in bariatric surgery candidates in Ontario, but at a lower prevalence than what has been reported elsewhere. History of abuse does not appear to affect weight loss out to 1 year postoperatively and may alert providers to offer additional support perioperatively and postoperatively, particularly in the setting of psychiatric co-morbidity.

"WHAT'S BUGGING THE GUT IN OCD?" A REVIEW OF THE GUT MICROBIOME IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

The gut microbiome has become a topic of major interest as of late, with a new focus specifically on psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have revealed that variations in the composition of the gut microbiota may influence anxiety and mood and vice versa. Keeping the concept of this bidirectional "microbiota-gut-brain" axis in mind, this review aims to shed light on how these findings may also be implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); potentially outlining a novel etiological pathway of interest for future research in the field.