OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER IN CHILDREN

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in childhood is a chronic and distressing disorder that can lead to severe impairments in social, academic, and family functioning. Until the past decade, childhood OCD was thought to be rare and not subjected to systematic research. Recently, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the etiology, pathophysiology, phenomenology, and treatment of OCD in children. The development of more sophisticated assessment methods has led to significantly heightened professional and public awareness of childhood OCD and substantial upward revisions in the prevalence rate for the disorder in this age group.⁶² The ongoing refinement of psychosocial and psychopharmacologic treatment approaches has increased the likelihood that many youngsters with OCD will lead productive, satisfying, and relatively normal lives.