OCD Survey Highlights

A national survey of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), commissioned by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), revealed the effects of the disorder on personal and professional relationships. Many respondents reported that untreated OCD has a significant impact on their personal, romantic, and professional relationships; about 70 percent of those who are being treated reported that treatment has a positive effect on these relationships. Following are highlights from the survey results.

Nearly 7 in 10 respondents reported negative effects of OCD:

  • Personal relationships (65 percent)
  • Ability to carry out normal daily activities (68 percent)
  • Level of satisfaction with their career (73 percent)

Respondents often struggle with a variety of emotions:

  • Embarrassment over their disorder (49 percent)
  • Feeling a lack of control over their lives (45 percent)
  • Feeling as though they cannot survive on their own (22 percent)

Relationship problems reported as a result of OCD:

  • Making excuses or lying to compensate for behavior (44 percent)
  • Having serious fights with a spouse or significant other (36 percent)
  • Avoiding intimacy with a spouse or significant other (35 percent)

OCD and Friendships

  • More than half (52 percent) said untreated OCD symptoms have a negative impact on their friendships.
  • Nearly half (46 percent) said they do not have any close friends.
  • About half (51 percent) have kept their symptoms a secret from their friends.
  • More than half (51 percent) report avoiding social activities with friends as a result of OCD.

OCD and Professional Relationships

  • More than half (55 percent) of employed adults with untreated OCD said their symptoms have a negative impact on their professional relationships.
  • About two-thirds (65 percent) have kept their disorder a secret from co-workers.
  • Around half (46 percent) said they do not feel as productive as they should be because of their disorder.

Breaking Free from OCD: Treatment Makes a Difference

  • More than 3 out of 4 (76 percent) report that treatment has made a positive impact on their friendships.
  • More than 6 in 10 (62 percent) report a positive impact on their ability to have a romantic relationship.
  • Almost 7 in 10 (67 percent) report their treatment has had a positive impact on their professional relationships.
  • Despite the positive impact treatment can have for people living with OCD, about one-third (31 percent) indicated they waited 10 years or more from the time they first experienced symptoms before seeking treatment.
  • About half (53 percent) of adults with OCD who are not currently in treatment said getting more information about the benefits of treatment would make them more likely to seek treatment.

About the Survey Methodology

The Anxiety Survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Anxiety Disorders Association of America in December 2007. Survey participants included 1,141 U.S. adults age 18+ who have been diagnosed by a health care professional with anxiety or other anxiety disorders (578 adults); obsessive-compulsive disorder (276 adults); or social anxiety disorder (287 adults). The full survey methodology is available upon request.