Background
Compulsive behaviors describe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism-spectrum disorder. According to available data, up to 20% of those seeking treatment for OCD also have autistic characteristics. The effect of autistic characteristics on OCD is unknown.
Objective
To find the frequency of autistic traits in patients with OCD and its effect on clinical characteristics of OCD.
Patients and Methods
A case–control cross-sectional study design was employed. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient was used to assess autistic features in 60 adult outpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders OCD diagnoses and 60 adults who were age and sex matched with the general population. Patients with OCD with and without autistic symptoms were compared regarding demographic and clinical criteria.
Results
Approximately 30% of patients scored above the clinical threshold of the Autistic-Spectrum Quotient. Patients with autistic features had a considerably higher level of OCD symptom severity as judged by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (P= 0.04) and a significantly higher level of insight impairment as measured by the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (P= 0.001).
Conclusions
Patients with OCD have a high frequency of autistic characteristics. Autistic features are linked to more severe OCD symptoms and a lack of insight.