OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder

that affects people of all ages and features a pattern of unreasonable
thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive
behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere
with daily activities and cause significant distress.
 What Causes OCD?

Researchers still dont know the exact cause or causes of OCD,

research suggests that differences in the brain and genes of those
affected may play a role.

Research shows that OCD does run in families, and that genes likely
play a role in the development of the disorder.
 Who Gets OCD?

OCD can start at any time from preschool to adulthood.

OCD can occur at any age, there are generally two age ranges when OCD
tends to first appears:
Between the ages 8 and 12.
Between the late teen years and early adulthood.
There are also at least 1 in 200 or 500,000 kids and teens that have OCD.
This is about the same number of kids who have diabetes.

That means four or five kids with OCD are likely to be enrolled in any
average size elementary school. In a medium to large high school, there
could be 20 students struggling with the challenges caused by OCD
 Common Obsessions in OCD

Washing hands is excessively or in a certain way

Excessive showering, bathing, tooth-brushing, grooming ,or toilet
routines
Cleaning household items or other objects excessively
Doing other things to prevent or remove contact with contaminants
 Common Obsessions in OCD

Repeating
Rereading or rewriting
Repeating routine activities (examples: going in or out doors, getting
up or down from chairs)
Repeating body movements (example: tapping, touching, blinking)
Repeating activities in multiples (examples: doing a task three
times because three is a good, right, safe number)
 What Are the Most Effective Treatments
for OCD?

The most effective treatments for OCD are Cognitive Behavior

Therapy (CBT) and/or medication.
More specifically, the most effective treatments are a type of CBT
called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP),
The Exposure in ERP refers to exposing yourself to the thoughts,
images, objects and situations that make you anxious and/or start
your obsessions. Basically this therapy involves the person with OCD
facing his or her fears
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Test
University of Hamburg Obsession-
Compulsion Inventory Screening Form

Source: Dr. Iver Hand and Dr Rudiger Plepsch, University of Hamburg,

Germany
 Scoring

A. Calculate the total number of answers circled True for questions

3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,15,16,22,23.
These are obsessions. If the total number of true answers circled for these
questions is 1 or 2: You probably do not have clinically significant obsessions.
3,4,5, or 6: You probably have obsessions that are clinically significant.
7-14: You definitely have obsessions that are clinically significant.
B. Calculate the total number of answers circled true for questions
1,2,11,12,17,18,19,20,21,24,25,26,and 27.
These are compulsions. If the total number of true answers circled for these
questions is 1,2,or3: You probably do not have clinically significant compulsions.
4,5,6,or 7: You probably have clinically significant compulsions.
8-13: You definitely have compulsions that are clinically significant.