Association of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms With Substance Misuse in 2 Longitudinal Cohorts in Sweden

Source:

Virtanen S, Kuja-Halkola R, Sidorchuk A, et al. Association of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms With Substance Misuse in 2 Longitudinal Cohorts in Sweden. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(6):e2214779. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.14779

Key Points

Question  Do individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or obsessive-compulsive symptoms have an elevated risk of substance misuse, and if so, to what extent do shared genetic and/or environmental factors account for their association?

Findings  This Swedish cohort study of 6 304 188 individuals from the general population and 9230 individuals in a separate twin cohort found that individuals with an OCD diagnosis had a 3.7-fold elevated risk of any substance misuse outcome. The association of OCD and obsessive-compulsive symptoms with substance misuse was partially attributed to shared genetics.

Meaning  These findings suggest that regular screening for substance use and problems should be included in routine clinical management of patients with OCD.