title: Psychological dissociation in obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with anxiety level but not with severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  According to recent findings, clinical symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) seem be related with dissociation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of psychological dissociation and clinical characteristics in OCD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample comprised of 49 patients with OCD (55.1% females) and 45 healthy controls (66.7% females). All participants were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Dissociation was quantified by the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychological dissociation assessed with the DES was associated with the severity of anxiety symptoms (beta=0.49, t=3.89, df=47, p<0.001), but not with the level of OCD symptoms. Patients had higher level of dissociation than healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the level of psychological dissociation is associated with the severity of anxiety symptoms rather than with OCD symptoms. Further investigation of association between dissociative and anxiety states is needed.
authors.affiliation: Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic. raszka@pcp.lf3.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raszka
authors.forename: Ján
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prasko
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koprivová
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Novák
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adamcová
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult