title: Role of life events in obsessive compulsive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are very few studies examining the role of life events in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Moreover, these studies have methodological limitations and have reported contradictory findings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency of life events in patients with OCD as compared to normal healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 patients fulfilling ICD-10 DCR criteria of OCD were rated with Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES). A group of 10 normal controls were also rated on PSLES. Finally, both groups were compared in terms of life events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of life events, six months (t=3.95, p=.001) and lifetime (t=5.53, p less than .001), were significantly higher in patient group in comparison to controls. PSLES scores showed significant correlation with YBOCS scores. However, there was no correlation between PSLES and HDRS scores. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed PSLES scores significantly positively predicted obsessive and compulsive scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Life events were significantly more frequent in OCD patients both six months and lifetime, as compared to healthy controls. The severity of OC symptoms was found to be directly proportional to the number of stressful life events experienced in the last six months prior to onset.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. sujitsarkhel@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sujit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkhel
authors.forename: Samir Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Praharaj
authors.forename: Vinod Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013997:Time Factors