Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Disorder (OCD)
Ashley Carozza
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? (Overview)
How severe?
- Half of adults with OCD (50.6%) had serious impairment as of 2001-2003.
- One-third of adults with OCD (34.8%) had moderate impairment as of 2001-2003.
- Only 15% of adults with OCD had mild impairment as of 2001-2003.
(Harvard Medical School, 2007)
At what age?
- The average age of onset of OCD is 19.5 years old. (Molecular Psychiatry, 2008)
- Males make up the majority of very early-onset cases. Almost a quarter of males have onsets before age 10. Most females are diagnosed with OCD
during adolescence (after age 10). (Molecular Psychiatry, 2008)
- People with early age of onset have more severe symptoms of OCD and higher rates of ADHD and bipolar disorder. ( Psychological Medicine, 2014)
Known causes
The cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder isn't fully understood. Main theories include:
● Biology. OCD may be a result of changes in your body's own natural chemistry or
brain functions.
● Genetics. OCD may have a genetic component, but specific genes have yet to be
identified.
● Learning. Obsessive fears and compulsive behaviors can be learned from watching
family members or gradually learned over time.
Treatments or Therapies used to cure or alleviate the symptoms of
disorder
● OCD is typically treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. Although most
patients with OCD respond to treatment, some patients continue to experience symptoms.
● Sometimes people with OCD also have other mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and body
dysmorphic disorder, a disorder in which someone mistakenly believes that a part of their body is abnormal.
It is important to consider these other disorders when making decisions about treatment.
● Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), which include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used
to help reduce OCD symptoms.
○ SRIs often require higher daily doses in the treatment of OCD than of depression and may take 8 to 12
weeks to start working, but some patients experience more rapid improvement.
● If symptoms do not improve with these types of medications, research shows that some patients may respond
well to an antipsychotic medication. Although research shows that an antipsychotic medication may help
manage symptoms for people who have both OCD and a tic disorder, research on the effectiveness of
antipsychotics to treat OCD is mixed.
Sources list
● Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/symp
toms-causes/syc-20354432