Table : TABLE 7.3 • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Facts at a Glance
Prevalence
  • Approximately 2–3% of Americans will develop OCD at some point in their lives (Burke & Regier, 1994), with generally similar prevalence rates worldwide (Horwath & Weissman, 2000).
    • Comorbidity
  • Over 90% of those with OCD have another disorder, with the most frequent categories of comorbid disorders being mood disorders (63%) and anxiety disorders (76%).
    • Onset
  • Among males with OCD, symptoms typically begin to emerge between the ages of 6 and 15.
  • Among females, symptoms typically emerge between the ages of 20 and 29.
    • Course
  • Symptoms typically build gradually until they reach a level that meets the diagnostic criteria. Over the course of a lifetime, symptoms wax and wane, becoming particularly evident in response to stress but typically are chronic.
    • Gender Differences
  • Men and women have an equal risk of developing OCD.
    • Cultural Differences
  • Although the prevalence rates of OCD and the types of symptoms are about the same across cultures, the particular content of symptoms may reflect cultural or religious prohibitions (Matsunaga et al., 2007; Millet et al., 2000).
    • Source: Unless otherwise noted, information in the table is from American Psychiatric Association, 2000, 2013.