Effect of sertraline and fluvoxamine on quality of life in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder: A 12-week interventional study

BACKGROUND: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with poor quality of life (QoL) and functionality. Treatment leads to improvement in QoL and better functioning. AIM: To assess the effect of treatment with SSRIs on QoL and disability in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with OCD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty first-episode, drug-naïve patients with a diagnosis of OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 were assessed for severity of illness (Y-BOCS), World Health Organization QoL (WHO-QoL Bref), and disability (WHODAS 2.0) at baseline and at 12 weeks after receiving treatment with either sertraline or fluvoxamine. RESULTS: The scores for QoL were low and for disability were high at baseline, and the scores for WHO-QoL-Bref and WHODAS 2.0 improved significantly after 12 weeks of treatment compared to baseline. This improvement correlated with reduction in the illness severity scores on Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale. The responders to treatment had better QoL and lower disability compared to nonresponders. CONCLUSION: There is an impairment in QoL and disability in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with OCD, and QoL improves and disability decreases with adequate treatment with SSRIs, and this improvement correlates with improvement in the illness severity.