Obsessive compulsive disorder is an uncommon but severe anxiety disorder. Feelings of anxiety are linked with constant or intrusive thoughts and compulsive or repetitive behaviours. Obsessive thoughts are often associated with fear of contamination or harm. Compulsive behaviours are repetitive acts that people feel compelled to perform to reduce their anxiety or fear.
Obsessive compulsive disorder typically begins in adolescence and is often a lifelong illness. Given the overwhelming and all consuming nature of the disorder, it can have a severe impact on all aspects of a persons's life, including employment.
Symptoms and characteristics
Typical symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder include:
- excessive fear of issues such as contamination, germs, harm or safety
- constant or intrusive thoughts
- compulsive or repetitive behaviours to try and reduce these fears and thoughts, for example, constant washing and not touching people or objects without clothes or a protective layer
- panic attacks and associated symptoms
- avoidance of situations
There is more information available on some of these symptoms and characteristics:
Statistics
Obsessive compulsive disorder affects approximately 0.4 per cent of Australian adults with 0.4 per cent of the female population and 0.3 per cent of the male population experiencing the disorder (Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Mental Health Council Inc. & ORYGEN Research Centre 2006).
Workplace adjustments and solutions
There are adjustments and solutions for the following job requirements:
References
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Mental Health Council Inc. & Kitchener, B., A. & Jorm, A., F. at ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne 2006, Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace—an e-learning course, Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra.