Work

Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder Symptoms in Veterans Receiving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Specialty Care

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with high rates of comorbid personality disorders, which may contribute to PTSD severity. Among veterans with PTSD, obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is common, with reported prevalence estimates ranging from 7-44%. Despite this, the relationship between OCPD traits and PTSD severity remains poorly understood. This retrospective, cross-sectional study examined associations between PTSD severity and OCPD traits in a naturalistic sample of 99 Veterans evaluated by a single clinician in a PTSD/Trauma Recovery Services clinic. PTSD symptoms were measured with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5), and OCPD traits were measured with the Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Scale (POPS). Relationships between these two constructs were examined using Pearson’s correlations. Overall PTSD severity was significantly and positively correlated with total OCPD traits ( r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Among OCPD domains, maladaptive perfectionism showed the strongest association with PTSD severity ( r = 0.44, p <.001), followed by emotional overcontrol and reluctance to delegate (both r = .38, p < .01), rigidity (r = .35, p < .01), and difficulty with change (r = .28, p < .05). These findings suggest OCPD traits impact PTSD symptom burden in veterans, warranting further research and clinical attention. Public Significance Veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have high rates of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) traits such as rigidity, perfectionism, and emotional overcontrol. This study found that in one VA clinic, veterans with higher levels of OCPD traits tended to experience more severe PTSD symptoms. Understanding how personality traits impact trauma recovery may help clinicians tailor treatments more effectively.

Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine

DOI: 10.3390/jcm15218286