[Psychopathological features of obsessive-compulsive disorder with religious content in young men].

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical and psychopathological features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with religious content in young men and develop a clinical typology of these conditions.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Clinical, psychopathological, psychometric, and statistical methods were used to study 33 young men (16-25 years) diagnosed with OCD (F42) with religious content of obsessions.

RESULTS

Three typological forms have been identified, depending on the clinical and psychopathological characteristics dominant in each type of OCD: obsessive thoughts about spiritual imperfection, fear of sinning (21.2%), dominant blasphemous thoughts (63.6%), and obsessive religious perfectionism (15.2%). Premorbidly, among all the studied cases, schizoid and psychasthenic personalities were the most common. The mean age of onset of OCD with religious content was 17±1.2 years. The ratio of depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms correlated within each of the typological forms.

CONCLUSION

The data obtained demonstrated the clinical heterogeneity of OCD with religious content. The described typological forms differed in the premorbid period, OCD phenomenology, and comorbid (depressive) symptoms. Further study of the clinical and follow-up groups is planned to investigate the patterns of these conditions' courses.