Are anxiety disorders a pathway to obsessive-compulsive disorder? Different trajectories of OCD and the role of death anxiety

Abstract

Objectives

A body of research has demonstrated high rates of comorbidity among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Further, recent empirical evidence has demonstrated the relevance of death anxiety in OCD. Given that the trajectory towards OCD remains unclear, the current study aimed to examine which disorders individuals typically experience prior to the onset of this disorder. Further, the study aimed to explore the role of death anxiety in the developmental pathways to the disorder.

Methods

The present study involved administering a measure of death anxiety and conducting structured diagnostic interviews among a treatment-seeking sample of 98 individuals with OCD.

Results

First, the findings revealed a number of anxiety-related disorders commonly experienced prior to the development of OCD, the most frequent of which were separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalised anxiety disorder. Second, consistent with hypotheses, individuals with higher death anxiety experienced more disorders prior to the onset of OCD. Conversely, those with lower fears of death were significantly more likely to develop OCD as their first disorder.

Conclusions

These findings support the argument that death anxiety may influence the trajectory towards OCD, and the comorbidity among anxiety-related disorders. However, further research is needed to clarify whether death anxiety plays a causal role in this trajectory.

Keywords:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• death anxiety
• comorbidity
• prevalence

Acknowledgements

The authors are deeply grateful to all participants who generously shared their time for the purposes of this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

1 A number of additional measures were also administered to this sample. These are described and reported elsewhere (see further, Menzies, Sharpe, & Dar-Nimrod [9]).

2 Notably, when the analyses were conducted on groups created using a median split of MFODS scores, rather than a tertile split, the pattern of results and their significance remained unchanged.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachel E. Menzies

Rachel E. Menzies is a PhD candidate in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney.

Matteo Zuccala

Matteo Zuccala is a PhD candidate in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney.

Louise Sharpe

Louise Sharpe (PhD) is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sydney.

Ilan Dar-Nimrod

Ilan Dar-Nimrod (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney.