Obsessive-compulsive disorder subgroups: a symptom-based clustering approach

Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often considered a heteroge neous condition, there is no generally accepted subtype typology. Cluster a nalysis was used to identify definitive symptom-based groupings of 106 OCD patients. A stable cluster solution was achieved and live patient subgroups were identified based on their pattern of symptoms on the Yale-Brown (Y-BO CS) symptom checklist: harming, hoarding, contamination, certainty and obse ssionals. The five subgroups were characterized by dominant symptom pattern s and significant secondary concerns reflecting the symptom heterorgenaity often seen in the clinical presentation of obsessional patients. Between cl uster differences on multiple symptom measures were evaluated and several m eaningful differences were identified. Cluster analytic procedures may prov e to be a useful tool for identifying st functional taxonomy of OCD subtype s. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.