Gender-related clinical differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the gender-related diff erences of clinical Features in a sample of obsessive-compulsive (OCD) pati ents. One hundred and sixty outpatients with a principal diagnosis of obses sive-compulsive disorder (DSM-IV, Y-BOCS = 16) were admitted. Patients were evaluated with a semi-structured interview covering the following areas: s ocio-demographic data, Axis I diagnoses (DSM-IV), OCD clinical features (ag e at onset of OC symptoms and disorder, type of onset, life events and type of course). For statistical analysis the sample was subdivided in two grou ps according to gender. We found an earlier age at onset of OG symptoms and disorder in males; an insidious onset and a chronic course of illness were also observed in that group of patients, Females more frequently showed an acute onset of OCD and an episodic course of illness; they also reported m ore frequently a stressful event in the year preceding OCD onset. A history of anxiety disorders with onset preceding OCD and hypomanic episodes occur ring after OCD onset was significantly more common among males, while femal es showed more frequently a history of eating disorders. We found three gen der-related features of OCD: males show an earlier age at onset with a lowe r impact of precipitant events in triggering the disorder; OCD seems to occ ur in a relative high proportion of males who already have phobias and/or t ic disorders; and a surfeit of chronic course of the illness in males in co mparison with females. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevie r SAS.