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Editorial
. 2021 Jun;60(6):688-689.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.12.014. Epub 2020 Dec 21.

Editorial: Neurobiological Substrates of Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children

Frank P MacMaster  1 , David R Rosenberg  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Editorial: Neurobiological Substrates of Subclinical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children

Frank P MacMaster et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

"I'm a little bit OCD" is a common refrain on social media, usually referring to a benign tendency toward cleanliness, order, and "keeping one's eye on the prize." In truth, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating disorder of ritual and doubt that carries a significant burden on functioning for those affected. Even subclinical OCD, which is 2-8 times more common than OCD in children, can engender considerable suffering, including social withdrawal, anxiety, depressed mood, and excess somatic complaints.1,2 It has been suggested that subclinical OCD symptoms during childhood may be precursors to developing the full disorder in adolescence and adulthood. However, the neurobiological underpinnings of subclinical OCD and their development and correlation to child functioning have not yet been well elucidated.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Dr. MacMaster is a consultant for the Prometheus Medical Corporation. Dr. Rosenberg has reported no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

Comment on

References

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