Sufferers from olfactory reference disorder: lonely, depressed and socially pained?

Abstract Although the few studies available on Olfactory Reference Disorder (ORD) indicate that the disorder is associated with fear of rejection, avoidance and impairment of social relationships, there are no investigations that have examined loneliness and social pain in individuals with ORD. Additionally, despite studies showing elevated comorbidity of ORD and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), the relationship between ORD according to the ICD-11 and depressiveness has not been investigated. This exploratory pilot study examined the association of symptoms of ORD according to the ICD-11 with emotional/social loneliness, social pain and depressiveness. A total of 225 German university/college students participated in an anonymous internet-based survey. Severity of ORD symptoms were significantly associated with more severe depressiveness, greater emotional and social loneliness as well as greater social pain. In our sample, participants with self-reported ORD reported on average elevated levels of social pain and loneliness. A total of 93.3% of the participants with self-reported ORD had elevated scores of depressiveness. Emotional and social loneliness remained significantly correlated with ORD symptoms in partial correlations that adjusted for depressive symptoms. In a multiple regression analysis, olfactory concerns were associated with the total loneliness score independent of the effects of depressiveness and social pain. These preliminary results highlight the importance of considering depressive symptoms and social pain in the assessment and treatment of ORD. In addition, results suggest that individuals suffering from ORD might be at increased risk for loneliness.