COURSE OVERVIEW:

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder of the brain and behaviour that often begins in childhood. OCD causes severe anxiety in those affected. OCD involves both obsessions and compulsions that take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities, such as school and extracurricular activities, developing friendships, and self-care.

Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that occur over and over again and feel outside of the child’s control. These obsessions are unpleasant for the child and typically cause a lot of worry, anxiety, and distress.

Compulsions (also referred to as rituals) are behaviours the child feels he or she “must do” with the intention of getting rid of the upsetting feelings caused by the obsessions. A child may also believe that engaging in these compulsions will somehow prevent bad things from happening.

OCD symptoms are hard on children. Rituals may seem to give them some relief at first. But rituals multiply. They start to take more time and energy. children have little left for things they enjoy. OCD thoughts, feelings, and rituals become a stressful cycle. This can make it hard to focus in school, have fun with friends, get to sleep, or relax.

In general, OCD is diagnosed when these obsessions and compulsions become so time-consuming that they negatively interfere with the child’s daily life. Typically, the obsessions and compulsions become gradually more severe over time until they get to this point.

Children as young as five can develop OCD. At that age, they may not even realise that their thoughts and fears are exaggerated or unrealistic.

A child with OCD may hide their rituals until they get to be too overwhelming. They may be able to suppress their rituals at school and then act out when they get home.

Some children suddenly develop OCD symptoms, along with other disturbing symptoms, after they have had an infection, such as a staph infection.

The cause of OCD is not known. Research suggests it’s a brain problem. People with OCD don’t have enough of a chemical called serotonin in their brain.

OCD tends to run in families. So it may be genetic. But it may also occur without a family history of OCD. In some cases, streptococcal infections may trigger OCD or make it worse.

The most effective treatment for OCD is a form of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

The aim of this course is to fill in some of the gaps in your knowledge of OCD using a user-friendly format. This course is a summary about diagnosis, causes, treatment and prognosis.

This course starts by defining and explaining obsessive-compulsive disorder in children. Then reviews the diagnosis process and types of OCD common in children. Then describes the general treatment options available to families and patients with OCD. Then discusses cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Finally, offers advice on how to maintain a balanced home and school life for a child with OCD in addition to providing the best care.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
• Is OCD common?
• What age does OCD usually start in a child?
• Is OCD only a childhood disease?
• Is OCD different in boys than in girls?
• Are there differences between OCD that starts in childhood and OCD that starts in adulthood?
• Are OCD symptoms always the same in an individual patient, or do they change over time?
• What are the costs of OCD?
• Is OCD hereditary?
• Is OCD more common in some groups of people than in others?
• What is the cause of OCD?
• What are the symptoms of OCD in a child?
• What are the kinds of obsessions we might see in a child?
• What are the kinds of compulsions we might see in a child?
• The four motor compulsions types
• How are obsessions and compulsions related? What do they have in common?
• Is it possible that the child can become physically ill because of so much worrying?
• What other mental problems are sometimes confused with OCD?
• What is the risk of violence in OCD?
• Is there a risk for suicide? What should I look for, and what should I do?
• What kind of treatment choices do we have for the child’s OCD?
• Is there anything I can do to help in the treatment of the child’s OCD?
• What is the role of family members in the treatment?
• What do I do if the child wants to stop taking his/her medications or stop seeing the doctor?
• Is there any special diet or exercise that I should have the child do?
• What is this cognitive-behavioural therapy?
• If OCD is a biological disorder, shouldn’t it be treated with drugs?
• There is an alternative to CBT called exposure and response prevention. How is it different?
• What is the difference between the cognitive and behavioural parts of CBT?
• Are there any other CBT techniques?
• When should we consider medication for a child with OCD?
• The child’s psychiatrist thinks she has another psychiatric disorder in addition to the OCD. What other conditions could she have?
• The child seems to be teased by the other kids and has lost his friends. Is it due to his OCD?
• We can live with the child’s OCD except for homework time, which is a nightmare. What can we do?
• What should I do if the child with OCD is very bright, but her grades and academic performance are bad?
• The child is refusing to go to school because of his rituals. What can I do?
• The child feels guilty and blames himself for the bad thoughts he has. How should we tell him they are not his fault?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.