Prevalence and psychopathology features of mental rituals in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder: A descriptive exploratory study of 1001 patients

Introduction

Mental rituals (MR) are compulsions with no overt behavioural or motoric signs. It is presently unclear whether MR found in obsessive–compulsive disorder are associated with a distinctive clinical profile.

Objectives

The main objectives of this paper were to assess the prevalence and psychopathological correlates of mental rituals in a large sample of OCD patients.

Methods

This exploratory case–control study compared 519 patients with versus 447 without MR in terms of sociodemographics, presence and severity of obsessive–compulsive symptoms, psychiatric comorbidities, sensory phenomena, suicidality, and insight.

Results

Current MR were found in 51.8%, while lifetime MR were found in 55.4% of the sample. The multiple logistic regression model determined that the most relevant clinical factors independently associated with current MR in OCD patients were the absence of any sensory phenomena and the presence of lifetime suicide ideation.

Conclusion

Due to its relation to OCD clinical aspects, MR are a frequent feature among OCD patients. It also seems to be associated with a range of features that are probably relevant for treatment, especially sensory phenomena and suicidality.