title: Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders: a comorbidity and family history perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The concept of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) has become so influential that there are proposals to introduce it into new diagnostic classificatory systems. The aim of this paper was to assess whether rates of comorbidity and family history of OCSDs in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) supported this concept.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comorbidity and family history were assessed in a group of participants with a primary diagnosis of OCD, using structured clinical interviews. Rates of OCSDs and other anxiety disorders (OADs), excluding OCD, were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 77 OCD participants assessed, the most prevalent comorbid conditions were OADs: generalized anxiety disorder (34.6%), specific phobia (26.9%), social phobia (21.8%) and panic disorder (19.2%). The proposed OCSDs were less frequently comorbid: tic disorder (12.8%), trichotillomania (5.1%), hypochondriasis (3.8%) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) (3.8%). Similar trends were observed for a family history of these disorders. No participant reported a family history of an OCSD without a family history of an OAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the concept of OCSDs has invigorated thinking in this complex diagnostic field, these results support the current association of OCD with OADs rather than with OCSDs.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. vbrakoulias@bigpond.com
authors.forename: Vlasios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brakoulias
authors.forename: Vladan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Starcevic
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sammut
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berle
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milicevic
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hannan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020323:Tics / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult