Self-reported hygiene-related behaviors among individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder, individuals with anxiety disorders, and nonpsychiatric controls

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) related contamination concerns are often associated with excessive handwashing. Less is known about other hygiene-related behaviors (HRBs) in OCD. In contrast, extensive public health research has examined the frequency and duration of personal (e.g., handwashing) and household (e.g., scrubbing tub/shower) HRBs in community members. The present study connected these literatures by examining self-reported HRB frequency and duration in 25 patients with OCD with predominant contamination-related symptoms, 95 patients with social anxiety disorder, 36 patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia, and 31 nonclinical community members. Participants reported the frequency or duration of common HRBs. Patients with OCD reported greater frequency of daily handwashing, but the groups did not differ with respect to the frequency/duration of other HRBs or the overall frequency/duration of HRBs. A minority of participants in all groups had high levels of engagement in at least one hygiene-related activity, and within each group, different psychological factors were associated with high hygiene engagement. These findings suggest that for many patients with OCD and contamination concerns, the frequency of handwashing is heightened, whereas frequencies/durations of other HRBs are similar to those for people without OCD. More research is needed on the mechanisms associated with high hygiene engagement.