Obsessive compulsive personality traits: Understanding the chain of pathogenesis from health to disease.

Background: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is the most common personality disorder across the globe, and has been associated with heightened impulsivity and compulsivity. Examination of whether these findings extend to people with subsyndromal OCPD may shed light on pathogenic mechanisms contributing to the ultimate expression of full personality disorder.

Methods: Non-treatment seeking participants were recruited in the general community of two US cities, and completed a detailed clinical assessment, along with questionnaires and cognitive tests relating to impulsivity and compulsivity. Participants were classified into two groups: those with subsyndromal OCPD (N = 104) and healthy controls free from mental disorders (N = 52). Demographic, clinical, and cognitive characteristics between the study groups were compared.

Results: Groups did not differ on age, gender, or educational levels. Subsyndromal OCPD had significantly elevated impulsivity (Barratt Impulsivity Scale) and compulsivity (Padua Inventory) scores, but did not differ on neuropsychological task performance (response inhibition, set-shifting, or decision-making). Across the whole sample in ordinary least squares modelling, self-rated OCPD scores were unrelated to Barratt Impulsivity Scale scores, but were highly related to Padua Inventory scores.

Conclusions: Subsyndromal OCD was associated with impulsivity and compulsivity on self-report questionnaires, but not cognitive tasks. Interestingly, only compulsivity scores reflected the extent of OCPD traits by self-report, suggesting impulsivity may constitute a vulnerability rather than severity marker. The extremely high rates of morbid disorders in those with subsyndromal OCPD may suggest such traits induce a propensity for other disorders.