The Prevalence of Diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Associated Comorbidities: A Population-Based Canadian Study

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder, which is characterized by obsessive thoughts (recurrent and persistent unwanted, intrusive thoughts that the individual attempts to ignore or suppress through some other thought or action) and/or compulsive behaviors (repetitive rituals performed in response to an obsession with the behaviors aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety/prevent a dreaded event or situation) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Obsessions frequently focus on issues of contamination, aggression, symmetry/exactness, religion and somatic concerns (T ükel et al., 2002).
Source: Psychiatry Research - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research