title: Perceived Stress in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is Related with Obsessive but Not Compulsive Symptoms.
abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is achronic psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive compulsory behaviors. This psychiatric disorder is known to be stress responsive, as symptoms increase during periods of stress but also because stressful events may precede the onset of OCD. However, only a few and inconsistent reports have been published about the stress perception and the stress-response in these patients. Herein, we have characterized the correlations of OCD symptoms with basal serum cortisol levels and scores in a stress perceived questionnaire (PSS-10). The present data reveals that cortisol levels and the stress scores in the PSS-10 were significantly higher in OCD patients that in controls. Moreover, stress levels self-reported by patients using the PSS-10 correlated positively with OCD severity in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Interestingly, PSS-10 scores correlated with the obsessive component, but not with the compulsive component, of Y-BOCS. These results confirm that stress is relevant in the context of OCD, particularly for the obsessive symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS-3Bs PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal ; Centro Clínico Académico Braga Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morgado
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bessa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: João José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cerqueira
keywords: PSS-10; Y–BOCS; cortisol; obsessive–compulsive disorder; stress
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Sep;193(4):487-94
references.pmid: 17492272
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 20:22-33;quiz 34-57
references.pmid: 9881538
references.citation: Transl Psychiatry. 2012 Jul 03;2:e131
references.pmid: 22760555
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991 Mar;48(3):207-15
references.pmid: 1996916
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;148:326-9
references.pmid: 3719227
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2005 Feb;43(2):153-67
references.pmid: 15629747
references.citation: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960 Feb;23:56-62
references.pmid: 14399272
references.citation: Science. 2009 Jul 31;325(5940):621-5
references.pmid: 19644122
references.citation: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Jun 15;33(4):605-9
references.pmid: 19272408
references.citation: J Psychiatr Res. 2007 Dec;41(11):928-33
references.pmid: 17049559
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;71(6):784-92
references.pmid: 20492845
references.citation: J Steroid Biochem. 1983 Jul;19(1A):251-7
references.pmid: 6887861
references.citation: Br J Med Psychol. 1959;32(1):50-5
references.pmid: 13638508
references.citation: Front Neurosci. 2012 Jun 25;6:93
references.pmid: 22737108
references.citation: Mol Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;15(1):53-63
references.pmid: 18725912
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 1984 Oct;13(2):157-65
references.pmid: 6596583
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2002;15(2):66-8
references.pmid: 11891995
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2007 Jul;45(7):1683-91
references.pmid: 17067548
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2011 Oct 3;28(10):906-14
references.pmid: 21681873
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1992 Sep;33(6):1025-37
references.pmid: 1400685
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Aug;71(8):1061-8
references.pmid: 20492843
references.citation: Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2001 May;363(5):491-8
references.pmid: 11383709
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Nov;46(11):1006-11
references.pmid: 2684084
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 2007 Jun 30;151(3):265-70
references.pmid: 17467061
references.citation: J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96
references.pmid: 6668417
references.citation: Neuropsychobiology. 1990;23(2):53-6
references.pmid: 2077433
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Nov 9;96(23):13456-61
references.pmid: 10557342
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2003 Sep;41(9):1029-41
references.pmid: 12914805
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 1990 May;32(2):151-8
references.pmid: 2367600
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2011 May;28(5):367-76
references.pmid: 21308889
references.citation: J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1987 Jun;7(3):182-4
references.pmid: 3597805
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992 Jan;49(1):9-20
references.pmid: 1370198
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003 Apr;42(4):450-7
references.pmid: 12649632