Obsessional slowness in obsessive-compulsive disorder: identifying characteristics and comorbidities in a clinical sample

BACKGROUNDObsessional slowness (OS) is characterised by debilitating motor slowness during initiation and completion of daily tasks such as washing, dressing, eating or walking. Yet, the clinical features of OS are still poorly understood.METHODSThis study aimed to delineate demographics, comorbid disorders and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) associated with OS. Cross sectional data from 667 OCD outpatients aged 9-82 years (M = 37.86, SD = 12.78) who underwent comprehensive standardised assessments administered by trained clinicians were analysed. Participants with (n = 189) and without (n = 478) OS were compared and contrasted.RESULTSLogistic regression revealed that being single, having tics and displaying higher severity of aggression, contamination, symmetry and hoarding symptoms significantly predicted participants having OS.CONCLUSIONSThis is the largest-scale descriptive study of OS, which also provides preliminary evidence that OS may be a more severe form of OCD. Further empirical validation of these findings is required, and future research should focus on developing OS assessment.