Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the School: Parental Experiences Regarding Impacts and Disclosure

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often begins in childhood and significantly impacts family, social, and academic functioning of OCD-affected youth. Despite children spending most of their waking hours at school, evidence about the effects of OCD on school functioning is limited. Parents of OCD-affected youth completed a school functioning survey developed by the authors. Survey content captured parents’ perspectives about the impacts of OCD on their child’s school functioning, their experiences with, and rationale behind, disclosing versus not disclosing the OCD diagnosis and the involvement and supports provided at the school. Descriptive statistics, χ² tests, and independent samples t-tests were computed to analyze the survey data. Out of 233 invited participants, 37% (n = 87) of parents of OCD-affected youth (M age = 14.4 years, 60% female, 71% Caucasian) completed the survey. Most respondents endorsed a negative impact of OCD on their child’s school functioning (73%; n = 49), especially related to avoidance of activities, places, objects, and people at school (93%; n = 62). Most participants disclosed their child’s OCD diagnosis to the school (85%; n = 74) and had an overall positive experience (93%; n = 69). There were no statistically significant clinical and demographic characteristics differences between those who disclosed versus those who did not disclose the diagnosis. Individuals who participated in group family-based CBT and whose child had cleaning, symmetry or forbidden thoughts symptoms were more likely to complete the survey than invited non-survey respondents. Findings enhance the current understanding of how OCD affects the academic life of students and provide preliminary support for positive outcomes associated with disclosure to school professionals.