Being a teen with OCD: A qualitative examination of social functioning in the context of OCD

ABSTRACT

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 most debilitating conditions when looking at lost income and decreased quality of life. The current study is a qualitative examination of the experiencing of being a teenager with OCD with emphasis on social experiences. Interviews with participants revealed concerns along seven themes distinguishing the self from OCD, OCD as a threat to survival, fear of negative evaluation, experiencing a constant inner dialogue and self-silencing, spending significant time with OCD, stigma, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall wellbeing. These findings have implications for clinical practice including combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention as well as encouraging clinicians to view patients within the context of being teenager, not just patients with OCD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)