Who gets OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder tends to be slightly more common in females than in males. In the United States, one million children and teens (guys and girls) have OCD. That is about one in every 200 people. Living with OCD as a teenager can be very hard, as the compulsions take up a lot of time and energy, making everyday things like homework and hanging out harder. OCD is also common among adults (1 in 50) who agree that the problem started in childhood.
What causes the disorder? While no specific OCD gene has been identified, some experts believe that the disorder runs in families. Despite the ongoing research over the past decade, there is no proven cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD comes from a problem with the way the mind handles messages about doubt and fear, so the problem probably has to do with the chemicals that moves messages from the front part to deeper structures of the brain.
