Disability in Bipolar Affective Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) affect various aspects of a person’s social, personal, and occupational life. Objectives: The aim of the index study was to assess the disability among patients with BPAD and OCD using the Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment scale (IDEAS) and to compare the domains of IDEAS between the two groups. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Material and Methods: In the index study, subjects with OCD and BPAD (N = 50 each) were assessed for disease severity using the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)/Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression for OCD and BPAD, respectively. Disability was assessed with IDEAS. Results: Among the bipolar and OCD groups, 4% and 68% of patients were mildly disabled; 88% and 32% of patients were moderately disabled, respectively. Eight percent (8%) of subjects in the bipolar group experienced severe disability. In both the groups, disease severity and duration of illness had a significant positive correlation with disability. It was seen that the highest mean score of disability was in the work domain, and the lowest was in the self-care domain of IDEAS in both the disease groups. The mean score of disability was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the bipolar group than in the OCD group for all domains of IDEAS. Conclusion: Both BPAD and OCD affect different domains of a person’s daily functioning, resulting in disability.