ABSTRACT
Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is relatively common, affecting an estimated 2%–4% of children and adolescents (Douglass, Moffitt, Dar, McGee, & Silva, 1995; Maina, Albert, Bogetto, & Ravizza, 1999; Rapoport & Inoff-Germain, 2000), though more children likely go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. For most children, OCD is quite debilitating and results in academic difficulties, social problems, and disruptions in the home/family environment (Piacentini, Bergman, Keller, & McCracken, 2003). The prevalence and severity of pediatric OCD have resulted in increased attention from researchers and clinicians alike in the realms of assessment and treatment (see Lewin, Storch, Adkins, Murphy, & Geffken, 2005, for a review). This chapter focuses on the assessment of pediatric OCD, giving special attention to descriptions of commonly used measures, as well as an overview of challenges and critical issues in pediatric OCD assessment.
