People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could be more likely to die from both natural and unnatural causes than those without the illness, according to a Swedish study published in The BMJ. According to researchers many of the natural causes of death are preventable by adopting better surveillance, prevention, and early intervention strategies which can definitely reduce the risk of fatal outcomes in people with OCD.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) – What is it about?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is typically a long-term psychiatric disorder affecting about two per cent of the population. It is mainly followed by intrusive thoughts, urges or images that trigger high levels of anxiety and other distressing feelings – known as obsessions – where the person engages in repetitive behaviours – known as compulsions.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is also associated with academic underachievement, poor work prospects, alcohol and substance use disorders, and an increased risk of death. Most people suffering from OCD tend to have urges of suicide rather than any other natural cause.
Using data from several Swedish population registers, the researchers identified 61,378 people with OCD and 613,780 individuals without Obsessive Compulsive Disorder matched (1:10) by sex, birth year, and county of residence. The average age at OCD diagnosis was 27 years and groups were monitored for an average of 8 years from January 1973 to December 2020.
It has been found that people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder had a higher death rate than matched individuals without OCD (8.1 versus 5.1 per 1,000 person-years, respectively). After calculating certain influential factors such as birth year, sex, county, migrant status, education and family income, it was found that people with OCD had an 82% increased risk of death from any cause.
Among the natural causes of death, people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder had increased risks due to respiratory system diseases (73%), mental and behavioural disorders (58%), diseases of the genitourinary system (55%), endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (47%), diseases of the circulatory system (33%), nervous system (21%), and digestive system (20%).
Among the unnatural causes, suicide showed the highest risk of death (a nearly fivefold increased risk), followed by accidents (a 92% increased risk). This risk of death was similar for both men and women, however, women have a slightly higher risk of death due to OCD than men.
This is an observational study, so can’t establish cause and the researchers point out that registry data only includes diagnoses made in specialist care. It’s also unclear whether the findings generalise to other settings with different populations, health systems and medical practices.
