Status of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Among Iranian College Students in Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Background; There is scant evidence regarding the prevalence and main determinants of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in early adulthood, especially at university ages. This study aimed to determine the status of OCD among Iranian college students. Methods; This cross-sectional study was conducted on 330 medical students at different academic grades studying at Kermanshah University of Medicalsciences. The final diagnosis of subclinical OCD was based on Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). The data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 19.0 and analyzed using independent T-test and chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results; The students’ mean + SD score of MOCI was 8.1±6.9. Besides, 103 students (32.4%) obtained scores higher than 9 and, consequently, were diagnosed with subclinical OCD. Among the baseline characteristics, only family history of OCD showed a significant relationship with the frequency of subclinical OCD (p<0.05). Conclusion; Since family history, as the only determinant of OCD in our study, cannot be modified, students and families have to be trained to control their disorder.