Quick Facts on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A brief overview of the signs and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents, as well as treatments.
en EspañolOverview
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety condition in which a child is plagued by unwanted thoughts, images or impulses (called obsessions) that he attempts to fend off or neutralize by performing compulsions (ritualized or repeated behaviors).
Symptoms
- Ritualized or compulsive behavior such as repeated hand washing, locking and relocking doors, or touching things in a certain order
- Extreme or exaggerated fears of contamination, family members being hurt or harmed, or doing harm themselves.
- Use of “magical thinking,” particularly in young children. (“If I touch everything in the room, Mom won’t be killed in a car accident.”)
- Repeatedly seeking assurances about the future
- Intolerance for certain words or sounds
Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is best treated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), specifically exposure and response prevention, which habituates a child to the objects of his obsession by exposing him to them in small increments, thereby reducing his anxiety.
If the OCD is severe, it is often treated with a combination of CBT and medication, which can reduce anxiety enough to allow the child to react better to exposure therapy.
