title: Stressful life events at onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder are associated with a distinct clinical pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environmental stressors are considered to play an important role in the triggering of mental disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although there is extensive literature on traumatic life events, little is known about the role of nontraumatic but nonetheless stressful life events (SLEs) in OCD. The aim of this study was to establish whether OCD preceded by an SLE presents a different clinical pattern compared to non-SLE-preceded OCD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 412 OCD patients to assess both SLEs at onset of OCD and other clinical variables, including OCD symptom dimensions. Logistic regression was then applied to explore the relationship between clinical variables and OCD preceded by an SLE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SLE-preceded OCD group showed a later onset of the disorder (OR = 1.04, P = .015), a history of complicated birth (OR = 5.54, P<.001), less family history of OCD (OR = 0.42, P = .014), and the presence of contamination/cleaning symptoms (OR = 1.99, P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with OCD onset close to an SLE and those without an SLE close to OCD onset show a distinct clinical pattern.
authors.affiliation: OCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Real
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labad
authors.forename: Pino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Cinto
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segalàs
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Murcia
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subirà
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Menchón
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult