African-Americans with OCD

About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered one the top ten causes of disability worldwide. Obsessions may include fears of being dirty, doubts about having done things correctly, and upsetting thoughts; compulsions may include repeated washing, checking, hoarding, and mental rituals. OCD causes distress and suffering to patients and their families as many hours per day may be devoted to doing compulsions and asking for reassurance. Learn more about common symptoms of OCD...

African-Americans and OCD

Recent research shows that African-Americans experience OCD at similar rates as other groups, but are less likely to receive treatment. Among those who receive treatment, few receive treatments that have been proven effective. African-Americans are typically underrepresented in OCD specialty clinics and research studies. It is possible that African-Americans with the most severe form of OCD may be misdiagnosed with other disorders (such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia), resulting in the wrong type of treatment. This project will help us understand of the issues that keep African-Americans from getting effective treatment for OCD.

Overcoming Barriers to Effective Treatment

The OCD project has several important scientific goals, including to:

• Understand the reasons that African-Americans do not receive the best treatment for OCD
• Understand the reasons that African-Americans are not included in OCD treatment-outcome studies
• Determine if existing clinical questionnaires are effective in identifying African-Americans with OCD
• Develop guidelines for health care providers to improve outreach to African-Americans with OCD
• Provide guidelines for researchers to improve recruitment and participation of African-Americans with OCD into clinical trials

How You Can Participate

The only way we can answer these important questions is if African-Americans with OCD tell us about their experiences. If you have OCD or think you might have OCD, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us today to participate in this important study. You may be eligible even if you are are already receiving services through a student or community behavioral health center. If you don't have OCD, but know someone who does, please give them the link to this website. Learn more...