Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL) varies substantially among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the clinical and contextual factors most strongly associated with QoL remain unclear. A better understanding of these factors may improve assessment, treatment planning, and service organization. METHODS: 3152 adults with lifetime OCD completed a validated measure of QoL along with clinical and sociodemographic measures. A 22-feature expert-informed model, based on prior scientific and clinical knowledge, was compared with data-driven models using recursive feature elimination and gradient-boosted trees. Model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: 0.55 vs. 0.51). Although several predictors overlapped, machine-derived models identified predictors not selected by experts, including subjective social rank, anhedonia, and inequality-adjusted national human development. Across models, depression severity, subjective social rank, and anxiety severity were the strongest predictors of QoL. Reduced data-driven models using 12-18 features retained comparable predictive performance and significantly outperformed the expert model. CONCLUSIONS: Expert knowledge captured much of the variance in QoL in OCD, but data-driven approaches improved predictive accuracy and identified novel factors. QoL was most strongly predicted by depression severity, anxiety severity, and social context rather than OCD severity alone, suggesting that clinical assessment and treatment planning should routinely consider broader affective and psychosocial difficulties alongside OCD symptoms.
Source: Comprehensive Psychiatry
Authors: Max Thorsson, Angela Trujillo, Maritza J. Romero, Jonathan Irreño-Sotomonte, Tania Borda, Raquel M. Zepeda-Burgos, Mayra C. Martinez Mallen, Beatriz Moyano, Jacey L. Anderberg, Josselyn S. Muñoz, Hannah C. Moore, Renee M. Frederick, Dayan Berrones, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Ogechi Onyeka, Andrew D. Wiese, Kevin M. Wagner, Victor R. Adorno, Victoria Agostini, William W. Aguilar, Cinthia Aguirre, Valentina Alvarado-Quiroz, NaEshia Ancalade, Maria E. Anciburo, Jacey L. Anderberg, Amira Y. Antich, Diego Aponte, Jhon E. Arango Londoño, Alejandro A. Arellano Espinosa, Luisa Arellano-Ramírez, Paul D. Arnold, Brygith Asenjo Carmelo, Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Tatevik Avanesyan, Juliana E. Avery, Andrea F. Avila-Vazquez, Jose N. Ayala, Tania L. Barbieri Aguirre, Cynthia N. Barrera, Julian A. Barrero Contreras, Kelly Barry, Amanda N. Belanger, Laura M. Benitez, Dayan Berrones, John R. Best, Tim B. Bigdeli, Hemamalini Bommiasamy, Tania Borda, Laura Boyajian, Nathan Boyle, Diego Briceño Muñoz, Christie L. Burton, Joseph D. Buxbaum, Ricardo E. Calderón Rivera, Jennifer L. Callahan, Carlos A. Camacho Gomez, Laura A. Campos Ponce, Ernesto G. Canchari, Roxana Carrasco Torres, María L. Catano-Cedillo, Matti Cervin, Alexandria Chang, Jessica S.C. Cheng, Jessica M. Chire, Macarena Churruca Muñoz, David C. Cicero, Amanda P. Cifuentes-Espinoza, Pamela Claisse Quiroz, Gianna M. Colombo, Jonathan S. Comer, Luz Condori-Apaza, Jennifer Cortina, Carolina Costa, Jennifer Crosbie, James J. Crowley, Victor O. Cruz, Isabella A. Cruz, Allison Cunning, Guillermo J. Dager Perez, Megan M. Dailey, Brian D. Dang, Kelly L. Davalos Checco, Alyssa Dawson, Pavel del Prado, Daniela del Río, Amelia Dev, Sara Diaz, Florencia S. Estrada, Edith G. Figueroa, Letizia M. Flecha, Álvaro M. Flores-Garcia, Martin E. Franklin, Renee M. Frederick, Ricardo Fujita, Jami M. Furr, Alessa Gaeta, Olivia M. Gamarra, Camila Garay-Contreras, Nataly García-Bravo, Cynthia García-Jaimes, Sheldon R. Garrison, Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, Andrés González Galera, Polaris Gonzalez-Barrios, Wayne K. Goodman, Javier D. Gorosito, Dorothy E. Grice, Jerry Guintivano, Daniel G. Guttfreund, Matthew W. Halvorsen, Jorge A.R. Haslop Miles, Francisca Henríquez-Belmar, Dariana G. Hernandez, Estefanía V. Hernández Núñez, John M. Hettema, Joseph D. Hovey, Bryan Huerta Ccarhuas, Jonathan Irreño-Sotomonte, Selva S. Iturralde Pedraza, Nisha Jagannathan, Matias Jensen, Rozmin B. Jiwani, Jessica S. Johnson, Sonia Joutteaux, Joali Alexandra Juárez Lujambio, Sabrina Kehrer, James L. Kennedy, Nuria Lanzagorta, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, Melanie Longhurst, David A. Lozada Martinez, Elba S. Luna, Anna MacLellan, Andrea H. Marques Horvath, Molly Martinez, Galo N. Martínez, Mayra C. Martinez Mallen, Karen G. Martinez-Gonzalez, Maria de Los Angeles Matos, Manuel Mattheisen, Ryan J. McCarty, Joseph F. McGuire, Dean McKay, Ciara McOmber, Nancy E. Melendez de Borja, Charlene Minaya, Tomás Miño, Sara M. Mithani, Mariana Monasterio Zambrana, Hannah C. Moore, Alonso Morales-Rivero, Pablo R. Moya, Maria B. Moyano, Pavithra Mukunda, Josselyn S. Muñoz, Maria J. Muñoz Zabaleta, Humberto Nicolini, Ambar A. Núñez Bracho, Belinda E. Núñez Bracho, Diana Obando, Monica E. Ochoa, Marcos E. Ochoa-Panaifo, Marcelo O'Higgins, Luis A. Olavarria Castaman, Trinidad Olivos Balmaceda, María J. Olmedo Tobar, Ogechi C. Onyeka, Iliana Ortega, Vanessa S. Paredes-Linares, Michele T. Pato, Ivana Pavlinusich, Mariel Paz y Miño, Edilberto Peña de Leon, José L. Perales Orellana, Stacey Pereira, Tania Pérez Duarte, Angel Phan, Maritza Placencia, Lorena Ponce, Kendall Poovey, Thomas Qiao, Maria F. Quiroz-Padilla, María F. Quispe-Correa, Alessandra S. Ramirez Heros, Dayana A. Ramírez Valencia, Renato T. Ramos, Iaroslava C. Ramos, Kesley A. Ramsey, Diana Rancourt, Sebastian Rebatta Gomez, Rocío C. Reyes Espinosa, Miguel Reyes-Parada, Peggy Richter, Carolyn I. Rodriguez, Servando Rodriguez Barajas, Maritza J. Romero, Camilo J. Ruggero, Angel Ruiz-Chow, Melisa N. Sagarnaga, Gianella N. Salazar Montoya, Nadeen Salhadar, Russell J. Schachar, Lucia M. Segovia, Laura D. Seligman, Isaac J. Siegel, Samuel D. Spencer, S. Evelyn Stewart, Eric A. Storch, Maria J. Tames-Bravo, Vissente Tapia-Cuevas, Peter M.. Thompson, Kiara R. Timpano, Silvina Tonarelli, Beatriz Treviño-de la Garza, Angela Trujillo, Constanza Uribe Villar, Carolina Valdés Jardón, Keara Valentine, Alexie Vallejo-Silva, Peter van Roessel, Javier Vargas-Medrano, María I. Vásquez-Suyo, Maria V. Vergara, Guadalupe Vidal-Martinez, Mariluz V. Vilchez Huaman, Caroline Vollaro, Kevin M. Wagner, Andrew D. Wiese, Sara Wilkerson, Gwyneth Zai, Luz M. Zappa, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Raquel M. Zepeda-Burgos, Anthony W. Zoghbi, Natalia G. Albuquerque, Gilberto S. Alves, Raíza Alves-Pereira, Larissa M.S. Artiga, Julianna P. Azevedo, Izabela G. Barbosa, Cristiane F. Bortoncello, Carolina Cappi, Beatriz A. Carneiro, Renan B. Christo, Daniel L.C. Costa, Fernanda Cupertino, Maria Alice de Mathis, Gabriela B. de Menezes, Luna Dib, Mateus J.A. Diniz, Maria Conceição do Rosário, Carolina B. Dreher, Carina Félix-da-Silva, Ygor A. Ferrão, Gabriela M. Ferreira, Luana C. Ferreira, Leonardo F. Fontenelle, Gabriel A. Frota, Maria Luiza W. Gil, Izabela G. Guarinon, Marcelo Q. Hoexter, Ana G. Hounie, Monicke O. Lima, Ariane F. Martinho, Thays Mendes Aguiar, Jamile V.R. Merces, Euripedes C. Miguel, Amelia Muniz, Beatriz S.R. Oliveira, Jhule S. Passinho, Lucas C. Quarantini, Yana Quarantini-Alvim, Vanessa R. Ramos, Aline S. Sampaio, Leonardo C. Saraiva, Roseli G. Shavitt, Otavio A.F.S. Silva, Mirelly Soares, Victor S. Souza, Bárbara P. Stumpf, Hermano Tavares, James J. Crowley, Eric A. Storch, Matti Cervin
Institutions: Lund University, Universidad de La Sabana, Universidad del Rosario, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Francisco Gavidia University, Centro Médico ABC, Favaloro University, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, University of Houston, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, University of Puerto Rico System, Ministry of Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Corporación Universitaria Rafael Nuñez, University of Calgary, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Stanford Medicine, Stanford University, Utah State University, University of Miami, University of British Columbia, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, University of South Florida, Johns Hopkins University, Hospital for Sick Children, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The University of Texas at Dallas, Universidad Tecnológica Privada de Santa Cruz, Vanderbilt University, National University of San Marcos, Instituto Nacional de Salud Mental "Honorio Delgado - Hideyo Noguchi", University of North Texas, Case Western Reserve University, Florida International University, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Hospital General de Niños Ricardo Gutierrez, Rogers Behavioral Health, University of Pennsylvania, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Milwaukee Area Technical College, University of Florida Health, University of Florida, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Private University of the North, National Institute of Mental Health, Dalhousie University, Fordham University, Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medicine, University of Valparaíso, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, University of Monterrey, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,470
OpenAlex ID: W7171506617