CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND COMORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH FEMALE GENDER IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Abstract Introduction Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by largely variable phenotypic expressions. Previous findings suggested that gender may be a relevant factor in mediating this heterogeneity. The present study aimed at exploring gender differences in a large clinical sample of Italian OCD patients. Methods Socio-demographic and clinical variables of a sample of 229 consecutive OCD outpatients were included in a common database. Patients were assessed through structured clinical interviews, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. Results Female OCD patients were more likely than males to have lifetime psychiatric comorbidities (72.6% vs 56.9%; p  Conclusions The current study supports the notion that OCD in female gender is frequently a comorbid condition with other specific clinical characteristics compared to male patients. These findings should be considered in epidemiologic and therapeutic perspectives.