Developmental aspects of obsessive compulsive disorder: findings in children, adolescents, and adults.

Although juvenile obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly recognized as a putative developmental subtype of the disorder, comparisons among children, adolescents, and adults with OCD have been lacking. We aimed to evaluate clinical correlates of OCD in three developmentally distinct groups. Subjects comprised children, adolescents, and adults meeting DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria for OCD referred to separate specialized OCD clinics. All subjects were systematically evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews and clinical assessments by OCD experts. Specific clinical correlates and symptom profiles were associated with the disorder in different age groups. These findings support a hypothesis of developmental discontinuity between juvenile and adult OCD and identify age specific correlates of the disorder across the life cycle. Further work is needed to validate whether juvenile-onset OCD represents a true developmental subtype of the disorder.

Disentangling chronological age from age of onset in children and adolescents with obsessive--compulsive disorder.

Although paediatric obsessive--compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly recognized as a putative developmental subtype of the disorder, it remains uncertain as to whether additional subtyping by age at onset in childhood or adolescence is warranted. Subjects included children and adolescents meeting DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria for OCD referred to a specialized OCD clinic. All youth were systematically evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews and clinical assessment by an OCD expert. Irrespective of current age, an earlier age at onset predicted increased risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, simple phobia, agoraphobia and multiple anxiety disorders. In contrast, mood and psychotic disorders were associated with chronological age and were more prevalent in older subjects. Tourette's disorder showed associations with both chronological age and age at onset. Chronological age and age at onset predicted different patterns of comorbidity and dysfunction in children and adolescents with OCD. Considering the heterogeneity of OCD, age at onset may help identify meaningful developmental subtypes of the disorder beyond chronological age.