ABSTRACT
Once a rare illness in childhood and adolescence, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is now recognized much more frequently. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994), which classifies OCD as an anxiety disorder, patients with this illness experience obsessions and/or compulsions of a distressing, time-consuming, and excessive nature. However, unlike adults with OCD, children and adolescent OCD patients are not required by DSM-IV criteria to possess insight into the fact that their obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable.
