Delay Discounting and Risk Tolerance in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Results From the Global OCD Study
Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features maladaptive decision making, previous research examining economic decision making in OCD has yielded inconsistent results. Here we examined whether unmedicated adults with OCD (<i>n</i> = 268) differ from healthy controls (HC; <i>n</i> = 256) on two measures of decision making about potential rewards: 1) delay discounting, the tendency to prefer rewards sooner rather than later, even if the delayed reward is larger, and 2) risk tolerance, the willingness to gamble for uncertain rewards when the risk is known. Data were collected in Brazil, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the USA as part of the Global OCD study. After controlling for age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, IQ, and site, individuals with OCD did not differ from HC in either delay discounting or risk tolerance. However, patients with OCD who reported more anxiety and depression showed higher delay discounting, or a relative preference for immediate rewards.
Authors
- Dianne M. Hezel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4660-5382)
- Janardhanan C. Narayanaswamy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4724-5836)
- Benjamin Huber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-9065)
- Marcelo C. Batistuzzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1347-8241)
- H. Blair Simpson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0731-614X)
- Niels T. de Joode (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2097-2283)
- Clara Marincowitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3955-9800)
- Odile A. van den Heuvel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9804-7653)
- Karolina M. Lempert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7308-5568)
- Dan Joseph Stein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7218-7810)
- Christine Löchner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-3704)
- Melanie Wall
- Karthik Sheshachala
Institutions
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- Deakin University (AU)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- University Medical Center (US)
- New York State Office of Mental Health (US)
- Amsterdam Neuroscience (NL)
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IN)
- Adelphi University (US)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Clinical Psychological Science
- Published
- 2024-11-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026241289927
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.64
Funders
- Sanofi
- Vistagen Therapeutics
- University of Cambridge
- Servier
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- National Institute of Mental Health