How common is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

The following OCD statistics provide more information about the people who experience this emotional disorder.

• Approximately 3.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.3 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD.
• The first signs of Obsessive-Compulsive behavior often begin during childhood or adolescence.
• OCD is equally common in males and females.
• OCD is sometimes accompanied by depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders.

Symptoms of OCD can coexist and may even be part of a spectrum of other disorders, such as Tourette's syndrome. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of other co-occurring disorders are important to successful treatment of OCD.