Obsessive–compulsive disorder
mental disorder involving obsessions and compulsions
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts (an obsession) and feels the need to perform certain behaviors (compulsions) repeatedly to relieve the distress caused by the obsession, to the extent where it impairs general function. OCD has been described since antiquity and has affected numerous notable historical and contemporary figures; understandings of it were historically rooted in religion and beliefs about demonic possession.
Obsessions are persistent unwanted thoughts, mental images, or urges that generate feelings of anxiety, disgust, or discomfort. Some common obsessions include fear of contamination, obsession with symmetry, the fear of acting blasphemously, sexual obsessions, and the fear of possibly harming others or themselves. Compulsions are repetitive actions performed in response to obsessions to reduce anxiety, such as washing, checking, counting, reassurance seeking, and situational avoidance.
Compulsions occur often and typically take up at least one hour per day, impairing one's quality of life. Compulsions temporarily relieve distress but reinforce obsessions over time. Many adults with OCD recognize their rituals as irrational yet continue them to reduce anxiety. For this reason, thoughts and behaviors in OCD are usually considered egodystonic (inconsistent with one's ideal self-image).
The causes of OCD are multifactorial and not fully understood, involving genetic predisposition, environmental stressors such as childhood trauma, abnormalities in brain structure and neurotransmitter function, certain medications or drugs, potential autoimmune processes in some children, and possibly evolutionary factors influencing compulsive behaviors.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Obsessive–compulsive disorder” as mental disorder involving obsessions and compulsions. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as mental disorder involving obsessions and compulsions. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q178190. The Library of Congress control number is sh85093751. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Obsessive–compulsive disorder”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Obsessive–compulsive disorder primary sources, Obsessive–compulsive disorder archive and Obsessive research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Obsessive–compulsive disorder”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Obsessive–compulsive disorder” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.