Patterns of temperament and character in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Lyoo, I.K.; Lee, D.W.; Kim, Y.S.; Kong, S.W.; Kwon, J.S.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 62(8): 637-641
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0160-6689 PMID: 11561937 Document Number: 539648
Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the temperament and character patterns of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and to investigate the relationship between patterns of temperament and character and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Method: The subjects were 40 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for OCD and 40 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched healthy controls. All subjects completed Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Other instruments included the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results: OCD patients showed significantly higher scores of harm avoidance and lower scores of novelty seeking and self-directedness compared with healthy comparison subjects. In addition, the high harm avoidance and low self-directedness scores are correlated with a greater severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in OCD subjects (multiple regression analysis, beta=0.39, t=2.54, df=34, p=.016; beta=-0.41, t=2.46, df=34, p=.019, respectively). Conclusion: OCD patients had distinct patterns of temperament and character compared with healthy comparison subjects. In addition, these patterns are specifically related to the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.