Obsessive compulsive symptoms are associated with better functioning independently of cognition in schizophrenia.
Although the relationship of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) with both cognition and social functioning (SF) has already been the focus of research in schizophrenia, the moderation of the relationship of OCSs with SF by cognition has not been explored to date. We investigated the association of OCSs with SF and its interaction with cognition in schizophrenia.



We recruited 110 schizophrenia patients and assessed OCSs (Yale-Brown Scale), schizophrenia symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), SF (Strauss-Carpenter Scale) and cognition. 51 patients had one obsessive-compulsive symptom or more, whereas 59 patients had no obsessive compulsive-symptom, according to the Yale-Brown Scale. We mainly investigated: a) the predictive effect of OCSs on SF, controlling for cognition, illness duration and symptoms' severity and b) the moderating effect of cognition on the OCSs-SF relationship.



The mean score of OCSs for patients having at least one symptom was 13.43 (SD=8.32). Higher OCSs predicted increased SF (B=0.98, t=2.41, df=88, p=0.018). This relationship was driven by the association of compulsions with job functioning (B=0.074, t=2.029, df=88, p=0.046). Patients without OCSs demonstrated worse functioning compared with those having at least one obsessive-compulsive symptom (mean difference=2.496, t=3.732, df=88, p<0.001). We failed to find evidence that cognition moderates the effect of OCSs on SF.



There may be a beneficial effect of OCSs on SF in patients with schizophrenia which is independent of their cognitive performance.
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece; Experimental Psychology Laboratory, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: dimkontis@gmail.com.
Dimitrios
D
Kontis
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece; Experimental Psychology Laboratory, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Eirini
E
Theochari
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece; Experimental Psychology Laboratory, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Mary
M
Nikolakopoulou
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Angeliki
A
Andreopoulou
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Dimitrios
D
Vassos
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Vasileios
V
Grigoriou
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Spyridoula
S
Vassilouli
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Dimitra
D
Giannakopoulou
Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Athens, Greece.
Maria
M
Kouloumbi
Experimental Psychology Laboratory, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Eleftheria
E
Tsaltas
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult