Surprising Facts About OCD

1. The prevalence of diagnosed OCD in Canada is 0.93%
People with OCD are more likely to have mood disorders including depression and bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

2. Negative childhood experiences are more common in people with OCD.
72.33% of people with OCD have experienced some form of childhood trauma or maltreatment. The link to childhood trauma is not quite understood or explained.

3. Healthcare services are accessed more frequently by people with OCD.
But they are also more likely to feel as if they did not receive the help they needed.

4. A family history of OCD increases the risk of developing the condition.
Researchers have noticed that OCD can run in families. If the parents, or a sibling has obsessive-compulsive disorder, there is an increased risk in developing the conditions.

5. OCD symptoms can develop in children after strep infection.
Although it is quite rare, a child who develops sudden OCD symptoms after a bout of strep throat or scarlet fever may have PANDAS, or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections.

6. It is not evidence-based practice to administer medication alone for OCD.
Approximately 70% of people with OCD will experience symptom relief with therapy and with or without medication. There is not enough evidence to demonstrate that administering medication alone does record benefits. Medication however can prevent relapse once therapy is stopped.

7. The most common form of OCD is checking (15.4%).
There are eight OCD categories of symptoms, with the most common being checking (15.4%) and ordering (9.1%).

8. OCD is slightly more common among women.
Women (52.1%) and Men (47.9%)

9. Mild to moderate OCD involves 1-3 hours a day of obsessive thinking and engaging in compulsions.
Many individuals, however, experience virtually constant intrusive thoughts and rituals.

10. 8%-37% of individuals with OCD also experience body Dysmorphic Disorder
These individuals report highly distressing beliefs and preoccupations with one or more aspects of their appearance.

11. The opposite of hoarding is called Spartanism.
Compulsive decluttering is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by an excessive desire to discard objects from one's home and living areas. Another term for this behavior is obsessive compulsive Spartanism.

12. Low levels of serotonin can cause OCD symptoms.
OCD is triggered by communication problems between the brain’s deeper structures and the front part of the brain. These parts of the brain primarily use serotonin to communicate. This is why increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain can help to alleviate OCD symptoms. There is no laboratory test to diagnose OCD.
Depletion of serotonin also occurs in people who have recently fallen in love. This may explain the obsessive component associated with early stages of love.

13. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can significantly decrease OCD symptoms.
Approximately 60% of patients with refractory OCD (failing to achieve adequate symptom relief through conventional treatment). This affects a fifth of all patients with OCD.

Sources:
Psychiatry research Volume 268, October 2018, Pages 137-142 Sydney Osland a, Paul D. Arnold b c, Tamara Pringsheim
CBT for OCD, V. Breram, F Challacombee, Oxford Press