OCD diagnosis requires a clinical interview with a qualified mental health professional. A psychiatrist will assess the type, frequency, and duration of obsessions and compulsions, the distress and time involvement they cause, and whether other conditions might better explain the symptoms. Validated rating scales such as the Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) are often used to quantify severity.

OCD can begin as early as ages 6 to 8 in children, with a second peak in late adolescence. Early-onset childhood OCD often has a stronger genetic component and may run in families. If your child has rituals or worries that take significant time and cause distress, an assessment is worthwhile regardless of age.

Yes. For mild-to-moderate OCD, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy alone is often effective, especially in children and adolescents where avoiding medication is preferred where possible. For severe OCD or when ERP alone is insufficient, SSRI medication is added. The decision is individual and based on severity, age, and family preference.

Almost everyone experiences intrusive thoughts. The difference in OCD is the distress they cause and the compulsive responses (mental or physical) used to neutralise them. Having a violent or taboo intrusive thought does not mean someone is dangerous — in OCD, the distress is precisely because the thought is so out of character. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the condition.

Perinatal OCD involves intrusive, often horrifying thoughts about harm to the baby (typically through accident or contamination), accompanied by compulsions like repeated checking or hyper-vigilant caregiving. It is distinct from postnatal depression and from postpartum psychosis. Mothers with perinatal OCD are not at risk of acting on the thoughts — they are deeply distressed by them. It is highly treatable when correctly identified.

Yes. Lionheart provides telehealth psychiatric assessment and follow-up review for OCD across all of Australia. Initial assessments take approximately 90 minutes and are conducted via secure video. We provide a detailed report to your GP within 5 business days and coordinate with your psychologist for ongoing ERP therapy.