Perfectionism and sensory phenomena: phenotypic components of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to investigate how perfectionism and sensory phenomena (SP) interact as possible phenotypic components of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).


METHODS
Forty-seven adult outpatients, meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for OCD, and a control group of 41 community subjects were assessed using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), the University of São Paulo-Sensory Phenomena Scale, and other standard measures of OCD severity.


RESULTS
Three of the FMPS subscales ("concern over mistakes," "doubts about action," and "parental criticism") were significantly different between OCD patients and control subjects. All subtypes of SP were significantly more frequent and more severe in OCD than in control subjects. The "incompleteness" subtype of SP was associated with high scores on all dimensions of the FMPS, whereas the "just-right" subtype of SP was only associated with "doubts about action," "personal standards," and "organization" subscales of the FMPS.


CONCLUSIONS
Presence and severity of SP and specific elements of perfectionism clearly distinguish OCD patients from healthy control subjects. Some SP subtypes are associated with specific FPMS subscale scores, whereas others are not. These results emphasize the relevance of assessing different subtypes of perfectionism and SP in OCD patients as important subcomponents of the OCD phenotype.
Lee
Jennifer C
JC
Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. mariaceica.rosario@gmail.com
Prado
Helena S
HS
Diniz
Juliana B
JB
Borcato
Sonia
S
da Silva
Cristina Belotto
CB
Hounie
Ana G
AG
Miguel
Euripedes C
EC
Leckman
James F
JF
do Rosário
Maria C
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult