Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions that consume time and significantly interfere with the individual's daily routines, work, family or social life, causing marked distress (American Psychiatric Association, 2002). Until the 1980s, OCD was considered a rare disorder. The ECA (Epidemiological Catchment Area) study estimated its prevalence rate between 1.9% and 3.3% during individuals' lifetime (Karno et al., 1988). Studies involving children and teenagers demonstrated a prevalence of up to 4.0% (Fontenelle et al., 2006), with slightly superior rates in boys at a 3:2 ratio, possibly due to the more premature symptoms in males (Rassmussen & Eisen, 1992; Walitza et a., 2011).