Global Prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review and Modeling Study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Psychiatry
• Global Health

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common global mental health condition.
• Limited epidemiological data exists for OCD and related disorders like hoarding, excoriation, body dysmorphic, and trichotillomania.
• A significant gap in understanding the global prevalence of these disorders persists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the epidemiological gap by estimating the global prevalence of OCD and related disorders.
• To analyze the association between OCD prevalence and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI).
• To determine age-specific prevalence patterns for OCD.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar.
• Inclusion of studies reporting general population prevalence using DSM or ICD-10 criteria.
• Application of a Bayesian hierarchical linear mixed model for global, regional, and national lifetime prevalence estimation.

Main Results:

• Global lifetime prevalence of OCD estimated between 2.28% (DSM-IV) and 3.21% (DSM-5).
• A negative correlation was found between OCD prevalence and SDI, with lower rates in high-SDI countries.
• OCD prevalence increases sharply in adolescence, peaking in the late 20s to early 30s; point prevalence varied for related disorders.

Conclusions:

• The study provides crucial global prevalence estimates for OCD, highlighting the impact of diagnostic criteria.
• Findings underscore the need for tailored public health strategies considering socioeconomic factors and age.
• Further research into the epidemiology of related obsessive-compulsive disorders is warranted.