Review
Adult obsessive–compulsive disorder and quality of life outcomes:
A systematic review and meta-analysis
Anna Coluccia
a,
*, Andrea Fagiolini
b
, Fabio Ferretti
a
, Andrea Pozza
a
, Giulia Costoloni
b
,
Simone Bolognesi
b
, Arianna Goracci
b
a
Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital of Siena, viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
b
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena School of Medicine and Department of Mental Health, University of Siena Medical Center (AOUS),
viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2. Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.1. Eligibility criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.2. Information sources and search procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.3. Study selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.4. Moderators coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.5. Meta-analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.5.1. Data extraction and summary measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.5.2. Inconsistency analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.5.3. Analysis of moderators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.5.4. Publication bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3. Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.1. Study selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.2. Study characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.3. Comparison on global QOL outcomes between patients with OCD and healthy controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Asian Journal of Psychiatry 22 (2016) 41–52
A R T I C L E I N F O
Article history:
Received 12 August 2015
Received in revised form 15 January 2016
Accepted 5 February 2016
Available online
Keywords:
Obsessive–compulsive disorder
Quality of life
Functioning
Meta-analysis
Systematic review
Case–control studies
A B S T R A C T
In the current literature, there are no meta-analyses assessing quality of life (QOL) in patients with
obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Knowledge of QOL domains mainly impaired in OCD could
provide specific areas for intervention. The current meta-analysis assessed differences in global, work
and social, family, and emotional QOL outcomes between patients with OCD and heathy controls. Age,
gender and OCD severity were examined as moderators.
Case–control studies were included if patients with primary OCD were compared with controls on
QOL outcomes. Electronic databases (1966–October 2014) were searched.
Thirteen case–control studies were included (n = 26,015). Patients with OCD had significantly lower
scores on QOL relative to controls, with moderate effect sizes on global QOL and large effect size on work
and social, emotional and family QOL outcomes. Studies using higher percentages of female patients and
patients with less severe OCD symptoms reported significantly lower QOL outcomes for patients with
OCD than controls.
Studies comparing patients with OCD and patients with other psychiatric disorders were not
included. Treatments should address QOL in OCD, particularly emotional QOL. Additional strategies
targeting QOL should be implemented for female patients with less severe OCD symptoms.
ß 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0577 586409; fax: +39 0577 233222.
E-mail address: coluccia@unisi.it (A. Coluccia).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Asian Journal of Psychiatry
jo u rn al h om epag e: ww w.els evier.c o m/lo cat e/ajp
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2016.02.001
1876-2018/ß 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.