Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. A 6-22-year follow-up study. Clinical descriptions of the course and continuity of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology.

Forty-seven individuals (28 male and 19 female) referred for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in childhood were followed-up 15 years later (range 6-22 years) in respect of psychiatric and personality disorders. In early adulthood, the patients could be sub-divided into 4 groups of about equal size. One group had no later OCD, another had OCD on a sub-clinical level, a third group had an episodic course of OCD, and a final group had a chronic and often very disabling OCD. Outcome was similar in males and females, except that more girls had an episodic course. Eating disorder was diagnosed in 4 (21%) of the females, and Asperger syndrome in 2 (7%) of the males, at follow-up.