OCPD individuals present as over-controlled and this extends to the relationships they have with other people. Individuals with OCPD are referential to authority and rules. OCPD individuals may therefore punish those who violate their strict standards. The inability to accept differences in belief or behaviors from others often leads to high conflict and controlling relationships with coworkers, spouses, and children. Cause
The cause of OCPD is thought to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There is clear evidence to support the theory that OCPD is genetically inherited, however, the relevance and impact of genetic factors vary with studies placing it somewhere between 27% and 78%.Other studies have found links between attachment theory and the development of OCPD. According to this hypothesis, those with OCPD have never developed a secure attachment style, had overbearing parents, were shown little care, and were unable to develop empathetically and emotionally. Diagnosis
DSM-5
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders, places obsessive-compulsive personality disorder under section II, under the "personality disorders" chapter, and defines it as: "a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts".
OCPD is also highly comorbid with Cluster A personality disorders,[4]
especially paranoid and schizotypal personality disorders.OCPD is also linked to hypochondriasis, with some studies estimating a rate of co-occurrence as high as 55.7%.Moreover, OCPD has been found to be very common among some medical conditions, including Parkinsons disease and the hypermobile subtype of Ehler-Danlos syndrome. The latter may be explained by the need for control that arises from musculoskeletal problems and the associated features that arise early in life, whilst the former can be explained by dysfunctions in the fronto-basal ganglia circuitry. Treatment
The best-validated treatment for OCPD is cognitive therapy (CT) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with studies showing an improvement in areas of personality impairment, and reduced levels of anxiety and depression. Group CBT is also associated with an increase in extraversion and agreeableness and reduced neuroticism. Interpersonal psychotherapy has been linked to even better results when it came to reducing depressive symptoms. Epidemiology
Estimates for the prevalence of OCPD in the general population are 3%, making it the most common personality disorder. Current evidence is inconclusive as to whether OCPD is more common in men than women, or in equal rates among sexes. It is estimated to occur in 8.7% of psychiatric outpatient settings.A study of data collected in the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions looked specifically for seven personality disorders as defined by the DSM-IV. The study concluded the most prevalent personality disorder of the surveys population to be OCPD, at 7.88%.