The authors present the clinical characteristics, demographic features,
and family history of a clinical sample of 44 patients who met DSM-III
criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Their findings are consistent
with those of previous epidemiologic studies completed before the
introduction of DSM-III with regard to phenomenology, course, and
demographic characteristics. Most of the 44 patients had concomitant or
lifetime histories of a major depressive disorder or another anxiety
disorder. A number of first-degree relatives of these patients had probable
obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive traits. The findings of this
study should prove useful in further epidemiologic, biologic, and
behavioral studies.
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