A comparison of quality of life and psychosocial functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder

Background. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) are possibly related disorders characterized by poor functioning and quality of life. However, few studies have compared these disorders in these important domains. Methods. We compared functioning and quality of life in 210 OCD subjects, 45 BDD subjects, and 40 subjects with comorbid BDD+OCD using reliable and valid measures. Results. OCD and BDD subjects had very poor scores across all measures, with no statistically significant differences between the groups. However, comorbid BDD+OCD subjects had greater impairment than OCD subjects on 11 scales/subscales, which remained significant after controlling for OCD severity. Comorbid BDD+OCD subjects had greater impairment than BDD subjects on 2 scales/subscales, which were no longer significant after controlling for BDD severity, suggesting that BDD severity may have accounted for greater morbidity in the comorbid BDD+OCD group. Conclusions. Functioning and quality of life were poor across all three groups, although individuals with comorbid BDD+OCD had greater impairment on a number of measures. It is important for clinicians to be aware that patients with these disorders - and, in particular, those with comorbid BDD and OCD - tend to have very poor functioning and quality of life across a broad range of domains.