Rates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among young people have increased significantly over the past decade, according to new NHS data — though the reasons may be more complex than they appear.
The most up-to-date NHS figures, from the 2023 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity survey, have revealed OCD rates among 16 to 24-year-olds have more than tripled over the past decade — a sharp increase following years of relative stability since 1993.
While the figures may appear alarming, experts have cautioned against reading it as evidence of a growing epidemic.
Instead, they have argued the rise reflects something long overdue: people recognising symptoms, having the language to describe them, and feeling able to seek support.
Ashley Fulwood, chief executive at OCD UK – a national charity based in London which supports people affected by the condition – has said the headline interpretation risks overstating the reality of OCD figures.
“We’re not seeing more people develop OCD now than we did five, 10 or even 20 years ago,” Fulwood said.
“What we’re seeing is greater awareness. People are recognising symptoms in themselves and reaching out for support, which is a positive thing – but it can be misread as rising prevalence.”
The charity, led by staff and volunteers with lived experience of the condition, supports people at every stage of OCD, helping them navigate support services and, crucially, access diagnostic appointments.
OCD UK estimates that between 1 and 3 per cent of people are affected by OCD at some point in their lifetime, with an annual prevalence of around 1.2 per cent in the UK – a figure that has remained broadly stable for many years.
According to Fulwood, one reason the reported increase is most visible among young adults is timing.
He explained OCD most commonly begins in the early teens or early twenties, a pattern that has long been established in clinical research.
He said: “The average age of onset hasn’t changed.It’s very rare for someone to be newly diagnosed much later in life.
“What has changed is that younger people now have more information and confidence to seek help.”
Older generations, he added, often lived with symptoms for decades without a diagnosis, due to a lack of awareness and stigma around mental health.
Today’s young people are more likely to encounter information about OCD through education, healthcare campaigns and social media – accelerating diagnosis rather than incidence.
Another key issue is the NHS data captures self-reported symptoms, not confirmed diagnoses. While intrusive thoughts, compulsions and anxiety are core features of OCD, they also overlap with other mental health conditions.
Fulwood added: “There’s a risk of conflating symptoms with disorder. Someone might report obsessive or compulsive traits without meeting the clinical threshold for OCD.”
There is also little evidence that the severity of OCD has increased.
According to OCD UK, the rise in numbers appears to be driven largely by people with mild to moderate symptoms coming forward, rather than a surge in severe or debilitating cases.
Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers predicted a sharp rise in OCD, particularly contamination-related fears.
While some people did experience a temporary worsening of symptoms, charities report that the overall impact was more limited than initially expected.
Fulwood said: “We saw a small increase in calls in the early months, but not a sustained surge.
“For people with contamination-focused OCD, the pandemic was challenging – but those fears usually existed before Covid and didn’t suddenly disappear afterwards.”
Significantly, contamination and cleaning compulsions do not represent all of OCD cases – as is commonly thought.
The condition often centres on intrusive thoughts about harm, relationships, morality, sexuality or responsibility – areas that remain widely misunderstood.
That misunderstanding can have serious consequences.
Mary, 21, who was diagnosed with OCD after initially being treated for an eating disorder, described how her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed as “just anxiety” by local NHS services, delaying appropriate care.
The London-based student said it was only after seeking private treatment that her OCD was formally diagnosed and her medication adjusted accordingly.
She said: “It wasn’t until I went private that my OCD was properly recognised” – adding that she was acutely aware not everyone has the same access to care.
Like many people with OCD, Mary says the condition is often misunderstood as being about cleanliness or order, when in reality it can involve deeply distressing intrusive thoughts that bear no relation to a person’s values or intentions.
She added: “I spent a lot of time worrying that if I voiced my intrusive thoughts, people would completely misunderstand what they mean.”
That fear of being judged or misinterpreted, she explained, often led her to stay silent — even when her symptoms were overwhelming.
At school, teachers struggled to understand her compulsions, such as repeatedly flicking light switches, leaving her feeling isolated and convinced that something was “wrong” with her.
It was only years later, after receiving a diagnosis, that she realised these behaviours were a way of coping — not a reflection of who she was.
OCD UK warns that a lack of specialist knowledge among professionals can lead to harmful misinterpretations, particularly around intrusive thoughts involving violence or children.
In rare cases, individuals have been wrongly subjected to safeguarding procedures, reinforcing shame and fear.
While awareness has improved, access to effective treatment has not kept pace.
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2005, recommend that every mental health trust should have access to specialist OCD services.
Two decades on, that provision remains patchy.
Fulwood added: “We know how to treat OCD. The problem isn’t the science – it’s the system.”
Many patients only receive what Ashley refers to as “CBT light” through primary care services, often capped at 10–12 sessions, despite national guidance advising flexible and needs-led treatment.
Specialist NHS clinics do exist, mostly in London and Oxford, but referrals are frequently blocked by local funding constraints.
For charities like OCD UK, the takeaway from the data is cautiously optimistic.
Increased reporting likely reflects reduced stigma, better education and more people feeling able to ask for help.
Fulwood said: “The danger is framing this as an explosion of OCD, which only creates fear and misunderstanding. The reality is that OCD has always been here. We’re just finally seeing it more clearly.”
NHS England has been contacted for comment.
Featured image credit: cottonbrostudio via Pexels
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