Who is affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder that affects 2% to 3% of the general population (millions of people worldwide).

• OCD usually begins during late adolescence or early adulthood.
• One-third of those with OCD report that their first symptoms began before the age of 15.
• OCD occurs equally in males and females.
• OCD usually starts earlier in males than in females. (It is possible for preschool children to develop OCD, although this is rare.)
  • Males most often develop OCD between the ages of 6 and 15.
  • Females usually develop OCD between the ages of 20 and 29.
  • OCD is found in people from all ethnic backgrounds.
  • OCD occurs more often in people who have parents or siblings (first-degree family members) with OCD.

Citations

1. Soomro GM (2005). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Online version of Clinical Evidence (14): 1-17.

2. King RA, et al. (1998). Practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37(10, Suppl): 27S-45S.

3. American Psychiatric Association (2000). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text rev., pp. 456-463. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

4. Nestadt G, et al. (2000). A family study of obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(4): 358-363.