OCD in children and young people

OCD can affect thoughts, physical sensations, behaviour, education and family life. The way it presents changes with age, and much of it may remain hidden. This page provides an overview and helps you find the information most relevant to your situation.

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OCD may look different in children and young people

OCD may show up in actions, repeated questions, avoidance or mental rituals. A child may be trying to prevent a feared event, obtain certainty or make a situation feel right. The pattern may be visible in repeated washing and checking, or hidden in counting, praying, analysing and reviewing memories.

Younger children may not have the words to describe the thought or sensation behind a ritual. Young people may hide the pattern because of shame or fear of being misunderstood. The signs become easier to recognise when we look at what happens before and after the behaviour and how it affects daily life.

Read the full guide to signs of OCD in children and young people.

Age and daily life shape how OCD presents

In a younger child, OCD may become woven into bedtime, meals, getting dressed or rules that require an adult's help. During the school years, tasks taking much longer, repeated restarts and checking schoolwork may become more noticeable. For young people, mental rituals and avoidance may begin to take over education, friendships and everyday choices.

OCD may also look different at home, at school and with friends. Some children hide rituals around other people, while certain triggers or demands arise only outside the home. Combining information from home, school or education, and leisure settings provides a clearer picture of the overall pattern.

What would you like to know more about?

Signs of OCD

Learn about visible and hidden rituals, avoidance, repeated questions and patterns that can be difficult to recognise as OCD.

Explore the signs →

School and education

Learn about concentration, assignments, absence, rituals during lessons and the different signs that education staff and family members may notice.

Read about education →

Assessment and co-occurring difficulties

Learn how a comprehensive assessment considers OCD alongside anxiety, tics, ADHD, autism and other difficulties.

Read about assessment →

Assessment considers daily life as a whole

When a child shows signs of OCD, information from the child, their parents and school helps show how the pattern affects daily life. School support staff or an educational psychologist can contribute information about learning, participation and support needs. The family can also discuss their concerns with a primary care doctor or a qualified mental health professional. The route to assessment depends on the services available where the family lives.

For more extensive or complex difficulties, assessment may involve a child and adolescent mental health specialist or team. Information is gathered about obsessions, visible and mental rituals, avoidance, physical health and how symptoms affect sleep, meals, education, leisure time and relationships. Anxiety, depression, tics or Tourette syndrome, ADHD and autism may also form part of the overall picture.

Support should fit the child and the family

Parents can learn to recognise the OCD pattern, respond to repeated questions and gradually reduce their involvement in checking, rituals and avoidance. Professional guidance can help the family agree on manageable changes that fit the child's needs and development.

Cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention (ERP) is adapted to the child's developmental level and involves parents or carers. How the child and family take part depends on the assessment and treatment plan, including the situations in which OCD affects everyday life.