Jeon S, et al. – The goal of the present research was to examine the comorbidity rate, clinical nature, and correlates of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). The results of this study revealed that the comorbidity rate of OCD in Korean BD patients was comparable to that of Caucasian patients. Even though OCD appears to be more often associated with depressive episodes, a heterogeneous nosologic relationship including a possibility of drug–mediated induction is suggested.

Methods

• For this study, patients (n = 314) with BD were enrolled and lifetime clinical characteristics were assessed comprehensively.
• After that, the comorbid OCD (‘OCD-BD’) group and the ‘non-OC BD’ group were compared in terms of the clinical variables of BD.

Results

• Researchers reported that OCD was found in 15.9% of patients.
• Earlier age at onset, more frequent pharmacological (hypo)manic switch and a higher rate of comorbid panic disorder were related to comorbid OCD.
• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms worsened or were confined to depressive episodes in two-thirds (65.4%) of the OCD-BD subjects.
• They observed that contamination obsession and checking compulsion were the most common types of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. 
• Drug-induced (hypo)manic switch was seen in more than 60% of the OCD-BD subjects who were already presented to antidepressants.
• According to the findings obtained, none of the OCD-BD subjects were taking antidepressants for OCD in the current specialty clinics.