Keywords

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Definition

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders describe a group of disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition that share the unifying symptoms of persistent, inflexible mental preoccupations and/or rituals or repetitive behaviors, consistent with behavioral disinhibition (American Psychiatric Association2013). The group encompasses obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, trichotillomania, and excoriation disorder. Neuropsychological research on OCD and related disorders points to dysfunction in the areas of executive functioning (e.g., organization), nonverbal memory, sustained attention, and processing speed. Some have argued that this group of disorders is caused by dysregulation in the basal ganglia, though the debate is ongoing.

See Also