Familial occurrence of tic disorder, anxiety and depression is associated with the clinical presentation of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents

Abstract Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric entity. The aim was to explore the association of familial OCD, tics, anxiety, and depression with the presentation of OCD in offspring. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the association of other familial psychiatric disorders with OCD in offspring. A total of 198 families recruited to a Scandinavian multicenter treatment study participated. Characteristics of the child were assessed with standard measures. Family psychiatric disorders were assessed with two methods: a parent interview with open questions and a parent interview with specific questions concerning tics, depression, anxiety, and OCD. A family history of OCD was described in 6% of the probands. No differences were observed between children who had relatives with OCD and children without familial occurrence of OCD. Familial tic disorder was associated with comorbid tics, externalizing disorders, repeating compulsions, and hoarding in the child proband. Familial anxiety was associated with internalizing disorders and comorbid tics, whereas familial depression was associated with somatic obsessions and hoarding in the proband. Our study shows that familial occurrence of other psychiatric disorders is associated with differences in the clinical presentation. Identifying subtypes may have implications for our understanding of the etiology of OCD.