Frequency of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in a Community Sample of Young Adolescents

doi:10.1097/00004583-199407000-00002

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Volume 33, Issue 6, July–August 1994, Pages 782-791

https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199407000-00002 Get rights and content

ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate the frequency and phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and subclinical OCD in young adolescents.

Method

A two-stage epidemiological study originally designed to investigate adolescent depression was conducted between 1986 and 1988 in the southeastern United States. In the first stage, a self-report depressive symptom questionnaire was administered to a community sample of 3,283 adolescents. In the diagnostic stage, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children and the Children's Global Assessment Scale were administered to 488 mother-child pairs.

Results

The prevalences of OCD and subclinical OCD were found to be 3% and 19%, respectively. Prevalences were similar in males and females. Females reported more symptoms of compulsions although males reported more obsessions. About 55% of adolescents with OCD reported both obsessions and compulsions. The most common compulsions were arranging (56%), counting (41%), collecting (38%), and washing (17%). Major depressive disorder (45%), separation anxiety (34%), dysthymia (29%), suicidal ideation (15%), and phobia (8%) were the diagnoses most frequently comorbid with OCD.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that OCD is not infrequent among adolescents and that the characteristic comorbidity and symptomatology of OCD may facilitate earlier identification and treatment by clinicians.

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ARTICLESFrequency of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in a Community Sample of Young Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusions

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Psychiatry

J Anxiety Disorders

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis in children

J Nerv Mental Dis

Estimates of the prevalence of childhood maladjustment in a community survey in Puerto Rico. The use of combined measures

Arch General Psychiatry

The natural history of obsessional neurosis

The assessment of affective disorders in children and adolescents by semi-structured interview: test-retest reliability of the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children, present episode version

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Follow-up studies in obsessional neurosis

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Fertility in obsessional neurosis

Br J Psychiatry

ARTICLES
Frequency of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in a Community Sample of Young Adolescents