Clinical profile of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: A multicentric study from India

Context: Data from the Western countries suggest that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is associated with male preponderance, comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders, and high family loading. However, data are limited from the developing countries with respect to the demographic and clinical characteristics of OCD in children and adolescents. Aims: To study the demographic and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents (age <= 18 years) with OCD. Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in outpatient treatment setting, across six centers in India. Materials and Methods: Participants were assessed using a semi-structured pro forma for sociodemographic information, clinical characteristics, the Children's Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS), Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition Research Version, Children's Depression Rating Scale, and Family Interview for Genetic Studies. Results: The sample was largely male with a moderate illness severity. Nearly 75% of the sample had illness onset before the age of 14 years. Aggressive, contamination-related obsessions and washing, checking, and repeating compulsions were the most common symptoms. CYBOCS assessment revealed that >2/3rd of children and adolescents endorsed avoidance, pathological doubting, overvalued sense of responsibility, pervasive slowness, and indecisiveness. Family history and comorbidity rates were low. OC-related disorders were present in about 10% of the sample. Conclusions: This study suggests that the clinical characteristics of OCD in children and adolescents in developing countries differ on certain aspects as reported from developed countries.