Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

Childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic and commonly disabling disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 2% to 3%. Obsessive-compulsive diso rder in childhood is relatively similar to the disorder in adulthood in ter ms of prevalence, phenomenology, etiology, and response to treatment. Comor bidity, most notably depression and other anxiety disorders, is common in c hildren and may complicate treatment and long-term outcome. Nevertheless, c ognitive-behavioral and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy have been shown to be effective and well tolerated in this age range.