Evaluation of the Relationship Between Disease Severity and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation, Impulsivity, and Quality of Life in Untreated Patients Diagnosed With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OBJECTIVE: Emotion regulation is an important skill to cultivate in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for helping with the positive prognosis of their disease. Patients with OCD exhibit higher rates of impulsivity compared to healthy volunteers. According to previous studies, there is significant impairment in the quality of life in OCD. Despite their importance, no study has yet been conducted on the interrelation of these clinical parameters in OCD patients. We investigated the relationship between disease severity, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and quality of life in untreated OCD patients. METHODS: This study included 40 untreated outpatients with a diagnosis of OCD. We applied the following form and scales: Sociodemographic and clinical data form, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Short Form, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form. RESULTS: We found a positive relationship (p<0.001) between emotional dysregulation and impulsivity in OCD patients. A positive relationship (p=0.003) was identified between disease severity and emotional dysregulation, while an inverse relationship (p<0.001) was observed between disease severity and quality of life-psychological health. Increased impulsivity and emotional dysregulation were also associated with a deterioration in quality of life. CONCLUSION: There is a significant positive relationship between emotional dysregulation and impulsivity in OCD patients. These clinical parameters may serve as important targets for treatment approaches in OCD patients and thus should be considered in the future work.