Association between childhood maltreatment and obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbid with eating disorders: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders (ED) share common features, including the presence of obsessions and compulsions, and they often co-occur. Additionally, there is a significant comorbidity between ED and childhood traumatic experiences (CTE), as well as between CTE and OCD. Various biological and environmental factors have been proposed to explain the connection between ED, OCD, and CTE. This study explores the link between CTE and the comorbidity of ED and OCD, with the hypothesis that specific types of CTE may increase the risk of developing OCD in individuals with ED. Methods Participants (N = 562) were enrolled at an eating disorder unit in Montpellier, France, between March 2013 and January 2020. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) were used to evaluate childhood maltreatment, assess clinical characteristics associated with ED, and categorize participants into two groups: patients with and without OCD. Results Bivariate analysis revealed that patients with comorbid ED and OCD had higher EDE-Q scores (p < 0.001), more anxiety disorders (p < 0.001), depressive disorders (p = 0.02), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (p < 0.001), and a higher incidence of sexual abuse (p < 0.001) and physical neglect (p = 0.04) compared to those without OCD. Multivariate analysis showed that the association between CTE and OCD was influenced by the presence of an anxiety disorder (p = 0.01) and a higher EDE-Q total score (p = 0.03), with a significant association with a history of sexual abuse (p = 0.04). Conclusions This demonstrates that CTE increases the risk of comorbid OCD in ED patients, correlating with more clinically severe ED and a higher likelihood of anxiety disorders.