Obsessive compulsive personality and fatigue in patients with anxiety and mood disorders

Abstract

Introduction: Prior analysis has demonstrated executive dysfunction as a cardinal feature of fatigue in a post myocardial infarction population [1]. Executive problems have also been demonstrated in a group of subjects with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) [2]. Traits of OCPD are commonly associated with depression, which has fatigue as an intrinsic element; however, so far no study has investigated the possibility of a specific association between fatigue and OCPD. Aim: To investigate whether measures of fatigue and OCPD were associated, in a sample of patients with anxiety and mood disorders (AMD) demonstrating high levels of fatigue. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with AMD attending a Stress Disorders Clinic. Socio-demographic and clinical information including diagnosis (as defined by The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), medication use, body mass index, and history of smoking were collected. The severity of OCPD traits was evaluated using the observer-rated Compulsive Personality Assessment Scale (CPAS) [2]. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) was used to assess general, physical and mental fatigue, reduced activity and motivation. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were employed to measure subjective and objective symptoms of depression, while the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) measured anxiety symptoms. Two-tailed Student’s t-test or Fisher’s χ2 test were applied to compare socio-demographic, clinical, fatigue, anxiety and depression characteristics in AMD patients with and without OCPD. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to test associations between OCPD and fatigue, while controlling for possible confounders. Results: Sixty-seven patients participated, 49 (73.1 %) females with a mean age of 39713. In this group, 14 (20.9%) patients had one mood disord [...].