Quality of life among patients with obsessive compulsive disorder: Impact of stigma, severity of illness, insight, and beliefs.

BACKGROUND

No Indian studies have evaluated the impact of stigma, severity, and insight on the quality of life in obsessive compulsive disorder.

METHODS

A hospital-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study on 100 patients of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, was conducted. Data were collected using socio-demographic performa, Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS), WHOQoL-Bref hindi, hindi stigma scale, and Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS) from March to June 2021. Appropriate statistical analyses were used.

RESULTS

A majority of patients were males (58%), married (65%), above matric pass (89%), and belonged to rural areas (62%). The total stigma score showed a significant negative correlation with overall QoL ( < 0.01**), overall health ( < 0.002**), satisfaction with physical health ( 0.006**), psychological health ( < 0.01**), and social relations ( < 0.01**) on WHOQoL-Bref. Discrimination, disclosure, and positive aspect domains of the stigma scale also showed a significant negative correlation with many domains of QoL. Severity of illness showed a significant negative correlation with overall QoL ( 0.045*), satisfaction with physical health ( < 0.01**), psychological health ( 0.01**), social relations ( 0.004**), and environment ( 0.007**). Poorer insight on BABS was associated with poorer overall health ( 0.04*), satisfaction with physical health ( 0.001**), social relations ( 0.03**), and environment ( 0.009**). Stigma was significantly increased by higher severity of obsessions ( 0.04*), compulsions ( 0.007**), and total Y-BOCS score ( 0.007**).

CONCLUSION

Stigma and severity of OCD have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Stigma reduction and appropriate management of severity should be an integral part of management for patients with OCD.