AGE-OF-ONSET, GENDER AND SEVERITY IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER - A STUDY ON A MEXICAN POPULATION

At the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry (MIP) in Mexico City, which is a tertiary health care facility, we evaluated the age of onset, gender , severity, and other demographic characteristics in 71 affected patie nts. In the current study, males had a significantly earlier age of on set than females. Also, a significant negative correlation was found b etween total symptom severity (Y-BOCS) and age of onset (-0.31, p = 0. 01, n = 61). Agression obsessions were associated with a higher age of onset (29.5 +/- 14.3 n = 9 vs 21.4 +/- 7.7 n = 59, F6.56, p = 0.01) a nd symetry obsessions with a lower age of onset (15.1 +/- 4.0 n = 12 v s 24.1 +/- 9.2 n = 56, F 10.8, p = 0.001). The compulsion subscale was higher in the presence of contamination and cleaning obsessions; and lower in the presence of agression obsessions. Current results are com pared with the literature, and future directions of ressearch are sugg ested.