The impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder on the suicidal risk of patients with mood disorders.

BACKGROUND

The association of mood disorders with personality disorder is frequent and relevant in terms of clinical and therapeutic aspects. Personality disorders may modify the phenomenology of axis I psychiatric disorders, generating atypical clinical features, uncommon behavior or unusual patient attitudes.

SAMPLING AND METHODS

The paper describes the atypical symptoms of 7 patients affected by mood disorder associated with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) who made a near-lethal suicide attempt and were admitted to a psychiatric intensive care unit.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The presence of OCPD associated with mood disorders may increase the risk of misdiagnosis, render some life events more stressful than usual for patients and increase the severity of the suicide attempt.