August 14, 2009 - Last week experts on the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) attended an annual conference to share information and give support to those who suffer from the mental disorder that affects 2.2 million people in U.S. One-third of adults who have OCD developed their symptoms in childhood, but often the disorder goes untreated or misdiagnosed for years before being recognized. OCD is often accompanied by depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disorders, which further confounds diagnostic efforts.

The roadblocks to diagnosis and treatment of OCD are common with many mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, including antisocial or aggressive behavior, depression, anxiety, OCD, and drug and alcohol abuse, and more than half of adults with such disorders have suffered since childhood.

Several decades of research have demonstrated interventions that can be effective in delaying or preventing the onset of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. First symptoms typically occur two to four years before the full onset of a disorder – creating a window of opportunity when preventive programs might make a difference, according to Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities, a report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. The report suggests that the federal government make preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders -- which cost the U.S. an estimated $247 billion annually -- and promoting mental health in young people a national priority.

• NIMH OCD Web page
• Obsessive Compulsive Foundation