A systematic review of misdiagnosis in those with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is one of the most disabling mental health disorders in our world but also a highly misdiagnosed one. Due to this lack of knowledge, OCD sufferers usually go undiagnosed for ten or more years. This review intends to highlight incidences of misdiagnosis in OCD as to better understand the rate of misdiagnosis as well as how these misunderstandings affect the lives of sufferers. Databases searched between 2009 and 2021 included Academic Search Premier, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocIndex, PubMed, and PsychInfo. A combination of the following search terms was used to search the Abstracts of English-language articles: “OCD”; “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder”; “misdiagnosis.” After a review of 59 articles, 7 were ultimately selected for inclusion, 2 of which were case studies exploring a more in-depth experience of OCD misdiagnosis. This study analyzed the purpose, methods, participants, and conclusions of each of the 7 studies. Overall, the general population, physicians, and mental health practitioners alike have a high rate of misdiagnosing cases of OCD, and there is substantial evidence of the detriment these misdiagnoses have in the lives of the participants. This systematic review explores next steps to enhancing professional knowledge.