OCD in Women: Prevalence, Risk & Key Differences

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? 1.5% global lifetime
Is it more common among women? Higher than men in adulthood
Are women at higher risk? #N/A
How much higher is the risk? Women ~1.6× as likely as men lifetime
How often can it be missed? High; shame/mental rituals may conceal symptoms
Does it show up differently among women? Somewhat
How might it look different? Contamination, checking, taboo thoughts, mental rituals vary individually
What commonly occurs alongside it? MDD; other anxiety disorders; eating disorders
What can it be confused with? GAD; OCPD; eating disorders; psychosis
Common screening tool OCI-R
Separate screening tool for women None
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