Facts About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• OCD afflicts approximately one in fifty adults in the United States.

• OCD is the fourth most common psychiatric diagnosis and one of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide.

• Approximately six million Americans are afflicted with this disorder.

• OCD is equally common in males and females.

• Nearly 1/3 to 1/2 of all sufferers will report that their OCD began in childhood.  Some will even show signs in their pre-school years. Cases of OCD have been reported in children as young as 1 ½ years old.

• OCD will evolve throughout a person’s life. Symptoms can change, worsen, become milder or even disappear.  Regardless, OCD is chronic and often disabling.

• Typically OCD will worsen due to stress, illnesses, and disease.

• OCD is sometimes accompanied by depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders.

• Surveys estimate that most people with OCD hide their symptoms, and less than 10 % of those suffering are currently in treatment.

• Most people see an average of three to four health professionals and spend more than nine years seeking treatment for OCD before they are correctly diagnosed.¹

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¹Jenike, M.A. Clinical Practice:  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 350(3):  259-265

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