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In small studies, investigators have inconsistently reported the onset or exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during female reproductive events. Now, researchers have conducted a large, international, survey study to examine rates of OCD in women at menarche, premenstrually, during or after pregnancy, and at menopause and to look at risk for repeat exacerbations in a second pregnancy after worsening in the first.
The participants were 540 adult women with OCD but without lifetime psychotic disorders or cognitive impairment, who were recruited in the U.S. (n=351 women; mean age, 45) and the Netherlands (n=189; mean age, 44). More than 25% reported OCD onset related to a reproductive event, primarily menarche. Worsening of pree…