Incidence of obsessive-compulsive phenomena in the course of acute schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Studies examining OC phenomena in schizophrenic and schizoaffective disorde rs have shown a prevalence of such phenomena in 1 to 60% of schizophrenic o r schizoaffective patients. In this prospective study, about 10% of 150 mal e patients suffering from acute psychotic disorders (fulfilling DSM-IV crit eria for Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder) were found to have OC s ymptoms. These symptoms showed no correlation to the type and severity of p sychosis. As only 19% of the patients with obsessions and compulsions durin g acute psychosis showed an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder prior to their psychotic episodes, it may be concluded that there is no clear li nkage between intrapsychotic OC phenomena and premorbid anancastic personal ity traits. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.