Prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background: The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a group of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Method: Fifty adult patients enrolled in outpatient SLE studies at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (February 1995-October 1996) completed a self-report questionnaire adapted from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and an in-person psychiatric clinical interview with a psychiatrist or psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. DSM-IV lifetime diagnosis of OCD was determined by clinical interview.

Results: Sixteen subjects (32%) met DSM-IV lifetime diagnostic criteria for OCD and an additional 5 (10%) met criteria for subclinical OCD. Mean ± SD number of symptoms reported on the self-report questionnaire was significantly higher among subjects diagnosed with OCD on clinical interview (40.7 ± 23.2) compared with those without OCD (8.9 ± 11.7; t = 5.8, df = 27, p < .001).

Conclusion: Obsessive-compulsive disorder was 10 to 15 times more common in this cohort of patients with SLE compared with those in community-based studies of OCD. The use of an OCD self-report rating scale proved helpful in the identification of OCD symptoms among patients with SLE. Results suggest that further studies of OCD in patients with SLE are needed and may provide new insight into the pathophysiology of both disorders.