Results
Title

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children with first degree relatives diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Authors

Chacon, Priscila; Bernardes, Elisa; Faggian, Lívia; Batistuzzo, Marcelo; Moriyama, Tais; Miguel, Eurípedes C.; Polanczyk, Guilherme V.

Abstract

Objective: A first-degree relative affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessivecompulsive symptoms (OCS) in childhood is an important risk factor for developing the disorder in adulthood. The relationship between a family history of OCD and the presence of OCS and its correlates in childhood is not well established. Methods: A total of 66 children whose parents or siblings have been diagnosed with OCD were assessed for the presence of OCS and clinical correlates. Results: Three children (4.5%) were reported to have received an OCD diagnosis and another 26 (39.4%) were identified as having OCS. Children with OCS had higher rates of coercive behavior and came from families with lower socioeconomic status. Contamination/cleaning dimension symptoms in the proband were associated with OCS in the assessed children. Conclusion: OCS are frequent among family members of individuals with OCD and are associated with socioeconomic status, coercive behaviors and proband contamination/cleaning symptoms. Future longitudinal studies should test the risk of developing OCD in association with these characteristics.

Subjects

FAMILY history (Medicine); OBSESSIVE-compulsive disorder in children; PATHOLOGICAL psychology; BEHAVIOR disorders in children; DIAGNOSIS; MENTAL illness risk factors

Publication

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry / Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2018, Vol 40, Issue 4, p388

ISSN

1516-4446

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2321