The Relationship Among Autistic Traits, Impulsivity, and Functionality in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental disorder that causes disabilities. This study investigated the relationship among impulsivity, autistic traits, and disabilities in patients with OCD. We included 88 patients with OCD and 90 healthy volunteers without any mental disorders. The participants were evaluated using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0). Regression analyses revealed that AQ-attention switching and BIS-attentional subscale scores were associated with WHODAS-overall score in the OCD group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.034, respectively). In the OCD group, AQ total, social skills, and communication subdomain scores partially mediated the relationship between impulsivity and disability. BIS total, attentional, and nonplanning subscale scores partially mediated the relationship between autistic traits and disability. Developing new treatment strategies for cognitive recovery, in addition to traditional treatment approaches in patients with OCD, may help increase functionality in patients with OCD.