The relationship between schizotypal and obsessive-compulsive features in university students

Comorbid schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is relatively common in pat ients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some have argued, however, that t he severity of the primary disorder results in inflated estimates of person ality disorder. The present investigation explored the possibility that sch izotypal features are also significantly related to obsessive-compulsiVe fe atures in a nonclinical sample. One-hundred and ninety-two student Voluntee rs completed the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) and the S chizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), the latter being a self-report inventory designed to tap ail nine features of DSM-III-R SPD. Correlations between schizotypal and obsessive-compulsive features were strongest for co mpulsive checking as opposed to compulsive washing, slowness or doubting. R egression analyses revealed that only the MOCI checking subscale was a sign ificant independent predictor of the total SPQ schizotypal score. Findings indicate that schizotypal features are also found in association with noncl inical levels of obsessive-compulsive features, particularly checking behav iors. The influence of gender on these findings are discussed. (C) 2000 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.