Diagnosing OCD in Children, Screening for OCD

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Does Your Child Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

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Diagnosing OCD in Children

In screening for OCD, your child's doctor or mental health professional will ask about obsessions and compulsions in language that your child will understand, such as the following questions:

Do you have worries, thoughts, images, feelings, or ideas that bother you?
Do you have to check things over and over again?
Do you have to wash your hands a lot, more than most kids?
Do you count to a certain number or do things a certain number of times?
Do you collect things that others might throw away (like hair or fingernail clippings)?
Do things have to be "just so"?
Are there things you have to do before you go to bed?

Because it can be normal for children to answer yes to any of these questions, your child's doctor will also ask about your family's history of OCD, Tourette syndrome, and other motor or vocal tic disorders. OCD has a genetic component, which means that children whose family members have had any of these disorders may be more prone to OCD.

Tic disorders often resemble OCD symptoms: approximately 35% to 50% of people with Tourette syndrome also have OCD (but only a small percentage of children with OCD also have Tourette syndrome).

Disorders that frequently occur with OCD include other anxiety disorders, depression, disruptive behavior disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder), learning disorders, trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), and habit disorders such as nail biting or skin picking.

RELATED LINKS AND INFO

OCD in Children and Adolescents
Does Your Child Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
What is OCD?
Common OCD Behaviors in Children
Signs of OCD
Coexisting Conditions in Pediatric OCD
Treating OCD in Children
How Can I Help My Child?
Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation for Children
Know When to Seek Psychiatric Help for Your Child
Where to Find Psychiatric Help for Your Child

More about: generalized anxiety disorder ~ phobias ~ panic disorder ~ post-traumatic stress disorder ~ obsessive-compulsive disorder

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