Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) : Introduction to DSM-5 Criteria

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that has long fascinated clinicians, researchers, and the general public alike. It is characterized by a complex interplay of intrusive, distressing thoughts known as obsessions, and the repetitive behaviors or mental acts known as compulsions, which individuals feel compelled to perform in response to these obsessions.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, provides a comprehensive framework for the diagnosis and classification of mental health disorders. Within the DSM-5, OCD occupies a unique place under the category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.

In the DSM-5, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) falls under the category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, which includes several subcategories:

1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
2. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
3. Hoarding Disorder
4. Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
5. Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder
6. Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder
7. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition
8. Other Specified Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder
9. Unspecified Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder

OCD is characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted recurrent thoughts, urges, or images, while compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed in response to obsessions. Other related disorders may involve preoccupations...