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Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder: a prospective follow-up study
M F Flament1, E Koby, J L Rapoport
1Hôpital International, l'Université de Paris, France.
Summary
Most children and adolescents with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) continue to experience significant psychopathology years later. Few patients achieve full remission, highlighting the chronic nature of this childhood-onset disorder.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition.
- Long-term outcomes for these patients are not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term psychopathology in patients with severe childhood-onset OCD.
- To compare the outcomes of OCD patients with matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Follow-up study of 27 patients with severe primary OCD (onset in childhood/adolescence).
- Patients were reassessed 2-7 years after initial examination.
- Comparison group of age, sex, and IQ-matched normal controls was used.
Main Results:
- 93% of patients showed continued psychopathology at follow-up.
- Only 28% of patients received no psychiatric diagnosis.
- 68% still had OCD, and 48% had comorbid anxiety and/or depression.
Conclusions:
- Severe childhood-onset OCD often persists into adolescence and adulthood.
- Psychopathology is common, with high rates of ongoing OCD and comorbid conditions.
- Baseline variables did not predict long-term outcomes.