Research evidence has established an association of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. However, further investigation is required to determine whether individuals with OCD have higher risk of death by suicide compared with those without OCD.

Of the entire Taiwanese population, between 2003 and 2017, 56,977 individuals with OCD were identified; they were then matched at a 1:4 ratio with 227,908 non-OCD individuals on the basis of their birth year and sex. Suicide mortality was assessed between 2003 and 2017 for both groups. Time-dependent Cox regression models were used to investigate the difference in suicide risk between individuals with versus without OCD.

After adjustment for major psychiatric comorbidities (i.e., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder), the OCD group had higher risk of suicide (hazard ratio: 1.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.57–2.48) during the follow-up compared with the comparison group. Furthermore, OCD severity, as indicated by psychiatric hospitalizations due to OCD, was positively correlated with suicide risk.

Regardless of the existence of major psychiatric comorbidities, OCD was found to be an independent risk factor for death by suicide. A suicide prevention program specific to individuals with OCD may be developed in clinical practice in the future.