Differentiation of 2 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Subgroups with Regard to Demographic and Phenomenological Characteristics Combining Multiple Correspondence and Latent Class Analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Classic factor analysis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) dimensions and attempts to identify valid subgroups have not yet produced definitive conclusions.

OBJECTIVE AND

METHODS

This study aims to examine possible homogeneous subgrouping of demographic and phenomenological characteristics in 134 treatment-seeking OCD patients. A combination of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and latent class analysis (LCA) was used.

RESULTS

MCA showed 2 distinct subgroups of OCD patients and LCA confirmed this result by a two-class solution. Both analyses demonstrated (a) a clear subgroup of female patients with washing compulsions, obsessions related to contamination, and late age of onset and (b) a subgroup comprised mostly of male patients with earlier onset of OCD, checking rituals, and doubts or aggressive obsessions. Mental, ordering, hoarding compulsions, religious, or sexual obsessions and images appeared exclusively in this subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Using 2 different analytic methods, we confirmed at least 2 subgroups in a clinical sample of Greek OCD patients. Future research combining dimensional and latent approaches could facilitate our understanding of the heterogeneous phenotype of OCD.