Relationship of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The nature of the relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder has been the subject of considerable debate. The present article dealt with clinical opinion and reviewed empirical data bearing on this issue. It was concluded that, although the two clinical entities bear a surface similarity in terms of shared behavioral features and defenses, obsessive-compulsive personality is neither a necessary nor sufficient factor in the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder, though the latter appears to be more frequently associated with premorbid obsessive-compulsive personality patterns than with other personality patterns. Suggestions for future research study are made.