Obsessive-compulsive disorder epidemiology and demographics
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Abhishek Reddy
Overview
Once believed to be rare, OCD was found to have a lifetime prevalence of 2.5% in a 1980 study of adults from several U.S. cities. Current estimates of lifetime prevalence are generally in the range of 1.7-4%. Discovery of effective treatments and education of patients and health care providers have significantly increased the identification of individuals with OCD. International studies have shown a similar incidence and prevalence of OCD worldwide.
Epidemiology and Demographics
In a 1980 study of 20,000 adults from New Haven, Baltimore, St. Louis, Durham, and Los Angeles, the lifetime prevalence rate of OCD for both sexes was recorded at 2.5%.
Education also appears to be a factor. The lifetime prevalence of OCD is lower for those who have graduated high school than for those who have not (1.9 percent versus 3.4 percent). However, in the case of college education, lifetime prevalence is higher for those who graduate with a degree (3.1 percent) than it is for those who have only some college background (2.4 percent). As far as age is concerned, the onset of OCD usually ranges from the late teenage years until the mid-20s in both sexes, but the age of onset tends to be slightly younger in males than in females.[1]
A 2008 study suggests OCD symptoms in Japanese patients are similar to those found in Western countries, suggesting the disorder transcends culture and geography. The study's lead author, Hisato Matsunaga, stated surprise in the results, having "hypothesized that symptom structure might be substantially influenced by the sociocultural differences"; this finding appears to contradict previous theories.[2]
A 2000 study by the World Health Organization found some variety in prevalence and incidence of OCD around the world, with figures in Latin America, Africa, and Europe at two to three times those in Asia and Oceania.[3]
Violence is very rare among OCD sufferers, but the disorder is often debilitating to their quality of life. Also, the psychological self-awareness of the irrationality of the disorder can be painful. For people with severe OCD, it may take several hours a day to carry out the compulsive acts. To avoid perceived obsession triggers, they also often avoid certain situations or places altogether.
It has been alleged that sufferers are generally of above-average intelligence, as the very nature of the disorder necessitates complicated thinking patterns.
Prevalence
The twelve month prevalence of obsessive compulsive disorder is 1,200 per 100,000 (1.2%) of the overall population.
References
- ↑ Antony, M. M.; F. Downie & R. P. Swinson. "Diagnostic Issues and Epidemiology in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Theory, Research, and Treatment, eds. M. M. Antony; S. Rachman; M. A. Richter & R. P. Swinson. New York: The Guilford Press, 1998, pp. 3-32.
- ↑ Matsunaga, H.; Maebayashi, K., Hayashida, K., Okino, K., Matsui, T., Iketani, T., Kiriike, N., Stein, D. J. (1 February 2008). "Symptom Structure in Japanese Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 165 (2): 251–253. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07020340. PMID 18006873. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ↑ Ayuso-Mateos, Jose Luis. [www.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/bod_obsessivecompulsive.pdf "Global burden of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the year 2000"]. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 27, 2013.