The Benefits of Standardized Screening in Identification of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Youth - On Second Thought: from Iffy to Witty Thoughts
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The Benefits of Standardized Screening in Identification of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Youth

23 Feb The Benefits of Standardized Screening in Identification of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Youth

Posted at 13:34h in Uncategorized by

Screening, early detection, and intervention are effective weapons against the life-long consequences of serious mental illness. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses to manifest during childhood or adolescence, with the mean age of onset being ten years. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that OCD afflicts up to 3% of children and adolescents and is one of the more common psychiatric disorders to present before age 18.

Despite these facts, OCD is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Research reported by the Journal of Neural Transmission in 2008 found that treatment for OCD started on average at age 13, about two years after the onset of the symptoms presented. Unmanaged symptoms of OCD worsen with age and the beginning of puberty, often developing into a life-long chronic condition. Early identification, therefore, is essential to promote positive treatment outcomes. Psychologists and school-based mental health professionals hold the opportunity to screen for OCD symptoms when they may be first presenting themselves.