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

Although juvenile, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly reco gnized as a putative developmental subtype of the disorder, comparisons amo ng children, adolescents, and adults with OCD have been lacking. We aimed t o evaluate clinical correlates of OCD in three developmentally distinct gro ups. Subjects comprised children, adolescents, and adults meeting DSM-HI-R and DSM-IV criteria for OCD referred to separate specialized OCD clinics. A ll subjects were systematically evaluated with structured diagnostic interv iews and clinical assessments by OCD experts. Specific clinical correlates and symptom profiles were associated with the disorder in different age gro ups. These findings support a hypothesis of developmental discontinuity bet ween juvenile and adult OCD and identify age specific correlates of the dis order across the life cycle. Further work is needed to validate whether juv enile-onset OCD represents a true developmental subtype of the disorder.