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    Obsessive-compulsive disorder

    强迫症

    Clinical diagnosis
    Also called
    OCD, obsessions, compulsions, obsessive-compulsive neurosis

    What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

    OCD is marked by persistent obsessions (intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images or urges), compulsions (repetitive acts or mental rituals a person feels driven to perform in response), or both.[1] It is diagnosed only when these take up much time, such as over an hour a day, or cause marked distress or impairment.[1][2]

    Compulsions usually answer obsessions

    The cycle and its treatment: see exposure and response prevention

    At least one must apply

    Insight (two ICD-11 levels)

    Schematic, not a self-test.

    Select any box or bar for details.
    Schematic: at the top, the two kinds of OCD symptoms. Symptoms reach the diagnostic threshold only if at least one of the three conditions in the middle applies (and other causes are ruled out), and only a professional can make the diagnosis. Below are the two ICD-11 insight levels and real data from the China Mental Health Survey: far more adults have had an obsession or compulsion than have OCD. Select a part for details. Select a part for details
    Schematic: at the top, the two kinds of OCD symptoms. Symptoms reach the diagnostic threshold only if at least one of the three conditions in the middle applies (and other causes are ruled out), and only a professional can make the diagnosis. Below are the two ICD-11 insight levels and real data from the China Mental Health Survey: far more adults have had an obsession or compulsion than have OCD. Select a part for details. Save as image (PNG)

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    Key points

    • Earlier DSM editions classed OCD as an anxiety disorder. DSM-5 and ICD-11 moved it into a new obsessive-compulsive and related disorders group, alongside body dysmorphic disorder and hoarding disorder.[2]
    • Most people with OCD know their rituals are excessive, but insight varies. ICD-11 grades it fair-to-good or poor-to-absent; a few are sure harm will follow if they skip a ritual.[1][2]
    • In the China Mental Health Survey, 2.43% of adults had had OCD in their lifetime, while 14.28% had had some obsession or compulsion. Only 6.74% of those with OCD received care.[3]
    • NICE recommends CBT including exposure and response prevention for adults: up to 10 therapist hours when impairment is mild, more intensive CBT or medication when moderate, and both when severe.[4]

    An example

    Ms. Wang likes a spotless desk and jokes she is “a bit OCD,” but a mess doesn’t stop her working. Lin fears germs on her hands will make her family ill, washes several times after touching a door handle and loses over an hour a day, knowing it is excessive. What matters is time, distress and impact on daily life.[1]

    Misreadings and limits

    Saying “I’m so OCD” usually means liking things neat, which is not OCD: intrusive thoughts and double-checking are common, and they count as symptoms only when time-consuming or distressing.[1][2] This page cannot be used for self-diagnosis. If such thoughts or rituals cause distress or eat up time, a professional assessment can help; effective treatments exist.[2][4]

    If you need help now

    If you’re struggling to cope or having thoughts of harming yourself:

    If you’re in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.

    Psyfield is not a crisis service. Numbers checked October 2026.

    Sources

    1. 1 World Health Organization (2025). 6B20 Obsessive-compulsive disorder. ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics (2025-01 release). View source
    2. 2 Stein, D. J., Costa, D. L. C., Lochner, C., Miguel, E. C., Reddy, Y. C. J., Shavitt, R. G., van den Heuvel, O. A., & Simpson, H. B. (2019). Obsessive–compulsive disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5, 52. doi:10.1038/s41572-019-0102-3
    3. 3 Liu, B., Cheng, J., Liu, Z., Huang, Y., Rehman, S., Shen, M., Liu, J., Ju, Y., Yu, Y., Xu, X., Wang, Z., Xu, Y., Li, T., Xu, G., Xu, X., Wang, L., Yan, Y., Xiao, S., Zhang, T., … Zhang, Y. (2025). Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related healthcare utilisation in China: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey. General Psychiatry, 38(6), e102013. doi:10.1136/gpsych-2024-102013
    4. 4 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2005). Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: Treatment (CG31). NICE clinical guideline (presentational update May 2024). View source

    Last checked against sources: October 28, 2026