OCD Diagnosis

The crucial importance of diagnosing OCD lies in the fact that, with appropriate treatment, many patients will show substantial improvement, not only in their obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but also in their quality life.

The diagnosis of OCD is based partly on criteria that are exclusive to either obsessions or compulsions, and others that are criteria for both.

Obsession criteria are:

• Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses and images
• These thoughts, impulses or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems
• Attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses or images or to neutralise them
• Recognition that the obsessional thoughts, impulses or images are a product of one’s own mind

Compulsion criteria are:

• Repetitive behaviours (eg hand washing, checking) or mental acts (eg counting, repeating words silently) that one feels driven to perform
• These behaviours or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation

Both obsession and compulsion criteria:

• At some point during the course of the disorder, people have to recognise that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable
• The obsessions or compulsions cause distress, are time consuming, or significantly interfere with normal daily routine
• If another disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (eg anorexia and a preoccupation with food).
• The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg drug abuse, medication) or a general medical condition.