title: Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a guide to assessment and treatment.
abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent or persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive or distressing (obsessions), and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) often performed in response to an obsession. Recent epidemiological studies have found lifetime prevalence of pediatric OCD to be approximately 1-4% in the USA. OCD begins before the age of 18 years for as many as 80% of cases and follows a chronic, unremitting course. Due to the distressing, time-consuming, and debilitating nature of OCD, impairments in academic, social, and family functioning are often substantial. Despite the relatively high prevalence rate of OCD, dissemination about effective assessment and treatment has lagged. Increasing the awareness of OCD symptoms and its treatment among nurses and other health professionals will enhance identification of children presenting with unrecognized or untreated symptoms of OCD and will stimulate appropriate referrals for treatment to improve children's psychological functioning and overall quality of life. This paper reviews the nature, etiology, assessment, and treatment of OCD, highlighting clinical implications for nurses involved in mental health care.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Keeley
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Storch
authors.forename: Pritha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhungana
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Geffken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors