Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Iran.
BACKGROUND
Estimates of the annual prevalence for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) were consistent across the international sites range, 1.9%-2.5%. The nine population surveys, which used Diagnostic Interview Schedule, estimated a six-month prevalence of OCD ranging from 0.7% to 2.1%. This study performed in order to determine the prevalence of OCD in a population-based study among Iranian adults aged 18 and older and to study the association of them with factors such as sex, marital status, education, type of occupation and residential area.


METHODS
A cross-sectional nationwide epidemiological study of the Iranian population aged 18 and older was designed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and their association with the above mentioned factors. 25180 individuals were selected and interviewed through a randomized systematic and cluster sampling method from all Iranian households. Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria were used in diagnosis of OCD. 250 clinical psychologists interviewed the selected subjects face to face at their homes.


RESULTS
The prevalence of OCD in Iran is 1.8% (0.7% and 2.8% in males and females; respectively). 50.3% of the survey sample were men, 49.9% women, 29.1% single, 67.45% married, 0.4% separated or divorced, 2.5% widow/widower and 4% undetermined. All of the above-mentioned factors were examined in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Although the data did not fit the models well, but in univariate models, sex, the category "single" of marital status, age, the categories "business" and "housewife" and residential areas showed significant effect adjusting for the factors, but the models didn't fit the data properly.


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggests that the prevalence of OCD is not rare in the community of Iran and is within the range of other countries. Similar to prior studies in other communities, OCD is more common in females than males.
Mohammadi
Mohammad Reza
MR
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Roozbeh Hospital, South Kargar St, 13185/1741, Tehran, Iran. mrmohammadi@yahoo.com
Ghanizadeh
Ahmad
A
Rahgozar
Mehdi
M
Noorbala
Ahmad Ali
AA
Davidian
Haratoun
H
Afzali
Hossein Malek
HM
Naghavi
Hamid Reza
HR
Yazdi
Seyed Abbas Bagheri
SA
Saberi
Seyed Mehdi
SM
Mesgarpour
Bita
B
Akhondzadeh
Shahin
S
Alaghebandrad
Javad
J
Tehranidoost
Mehdi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D017805:Widowhood / Q000706:statistics & numerical data