Young people with OCD often have additional problems, for example depression or disruptive behaviour. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether this is a separate problem, or whether it is a sort of'side-effect' of OCD. Sometimes the best way to work this out is to treat the OCD so that it goes away, and see if the other problems go away too. If they do not, then it is probably important that they are treated too.

The most common disorders that occur with OCD in young people are:

• Mood disorders (especially depression)
• Other anxiety disorders (for example social anxiety)
• Tic disorders
• Disruptive behaviour disorders (fighting, stealing etc.)
• Specific learning disabilities (reading problems etc.)

Example research references:

Hanna. G. L. (1995). "Demographic and clinical features of obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents" Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34 (1 ): 19-27.