Temperament and character in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder
published online 13 March 2009.
Abstract
Background
The aims of this study were to evaluate the differences between personality traits of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and normal controls using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and to examine the relationship of personality traits and the severity of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. We also aimed to examine the influence a particular personality trait might have on the 5 factor-analyzed symptom dimension scores of OCD.
Method
We recruited 130 patients with OCD and 185 age- and sex-matched normal controls. All subjects completed the TCI. Patients with OCD were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the factor-analyzed symptom dimension scores from the Y-BOCS checklist.
Results
Patients with OCD had higher harm avoidance scores and lower self-directedness (SD), reward dependence (RD), and cooperativeness (C) scores than the controls. Lower SD scores and lower C scores were associated with OC symptom severity measured by the Y-BOCS after adjusting for age and depression severity. Hoarding dimension of OC symptoms was associated with lower SD scores and higher persistence (P) scores after adjusting for age, OC symptom severity, and depression severity.
Conclusions
There were significant differences in TCI subscales between patients with OCD and controls. Particular personality traits may have an influence on the severity and the dimensions of OC symptoms.
aDepartment of Psychiatry and Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
bDepartment of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
ABSTRACT