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What Causes OCD in Teenagers? OCD Risk Factors

Hayley Snelling
September 22, 2025
Authored by: Hayley Snelling, B.S. Psychology
Edited by: Emma Loker, B.S.
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As a parent, noticing sudden changes in your teen’s behaviour can be deeply concerning. For example, you may have noticed your teenager constantly checking things, developing new routines, or seeming overly anxious. These could be signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition that affects roughly one in every hundred children and adolescents.1

You may also wonder why symptoms such as these have started. The reality is, the causes of OCD in teenagers can be complex and involve a variety of influences. However, understanding what causes OCD in teenagers can help you to better support your child on the path to healing.

A mental health professional can help you better understand what causes OCD in teenagers, as well as the best OCD treatment approaches for your child’s needs. This article may also help, as it explores:

  • What OCD is
  • Why OCD may develop during adolescence
  • Biological factors for OCD development
  • Environmental influences on OCD
  • Mental health conditions linked to OCD teens
  • When to seek help for OCD
  • Where to find professional support
What Causes OCD in Teenagers?

What Is OCD in Teenagers?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects many teens living in the U.S.1 The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) defines OCD as “recurrent intense obsessions and/or compulsions that cause severe distress and interfere with day-to-day functioning.”2 Let’s take a closer look at what this means. 

Obsessions and Compulsions in OCD

Obsessions are repetitive and unwanted, intrusive thoughts or mental images that cause distress or intense anxiety. For instance, these obsessions may include a fear of germs, a need for perfection, or involve themes such as morality, sex, or religion. 

Compulsions are like “rituals” teens perform in an attempt to get relief from the distress caused by intrusive thoughts. For example, a teen may wash their hands for longer than necessary if they fear contamination, or check their backpack multiple times to ensure they haven’t forgotten something important. Yet, compulsions only ever bring a temporary relief from the upsetting obsessions. 

It may be helpful to imagine OCD as a bully living inside the mind: demanding that you follow its rules, otherwise something bad will happen. As a result, a teen typically feels like they have no other option but to obey.   

You can read more about the reg flags to look for on our OCD Signs and Symptoms in Teens page. 

Impact of OCD on Teens 

Living with OCD can be extremely challenging for adolescents. The time and energy taken up by compulsions and obsessions can affect many areas of life, including:3,4

  • Families, friends, and relationships
  • Academic performance
  • Mental and emotional health

As teens might feel embarrassed about the themes of obsessions and the nature of rituals, they may attempt to hide them. As a result, they might withdraw from others, which can cause feelings of confusion and hurt, impacting bonds. 

Additionally, the distress of OCD can impair the ability to concentrate, potentially leading to a drop in grades. Plus, the time spent on rituals may make them repeatedly late, causing conflict with school staff. 

Further, without effective treatment, OCD can worsen, making it difficult to manage daily life. These impacts can continue into adulthood, making understanding triggers and effective treatment options all the more important. 

OCD Triggers in Teenagers

A trigger is a stimulus that causes an emotional, physical, or mental reaction in someone. Therefore, understanding OCD triggers in teenagers can help increase awareness of what brings on obsessions and rituals. However, to know what triggers OCD often requires recognizing what causes it. 

While you may not be able to find the exact cause of your teen’s OCD, learning about the risk factors can allow you to support your teen with clarity and compassion. 

Research tells us that there may be several factors contributing to OCD developing or becoming worse in a teen. These factors can include:5,6

  • Family history
  • Genetics
  • Environment
  • Mental health

As we continue, we explore the teen risk groups for obsessive compulsive disorder in more detail, enabling you to better understand the factors behind your teen’s OCD. 

Why Can OCD Develop During Adolescence?

OCD has been repeatedly linked with development during adolescence.7-10 But what is the link between OCD risk and puberty changes?

It is thought that OCD symptoms may worsen during adolescence due to increased stress, such as new relationships, academic pressure, and seeking greater independence. During times of stress, people naturally revert to previous coping mechanisms. In this sense, if OCD symptoms were present to a lesser degree during childhood, teens may find these previous coping strategies becoming more active during this time of change.11

Additionally, fluctuating hormones triggered during puberty may potentially exacerbate OCD symptoms in teens. This is due to how hormones can affect neurotransmission in the brain, which is associated with mood regulation, impulse control, and anxiety.12

Knowing that hormones can potentially affect how and when OCD presents itself, it makes sense to investigate the links between genetics and OCD in teenagers. For this reason, the following section considers the biological causes of OCD.

Biological Causes OCD in Youth

When considering the impact of biology on the development of OCD in teenagers, two distinct areas are usually examined: family history and brain chemistry. We explore these two areas in more detail below. 

Can OCD Run in Families?

The family history of OCD teenagers is sometimes linked to a higher likelihood of early-onset OCD. From the numerous studies that have looked into whether someone is at risk of inheriting OCD through their family, the following has been found:13-20

  • Genetic factors may account for up to 65% of child and adolescent cases of OCD
  • Up to one in ten people diagnosed with OCD also have a relative with OCD
  • Up to 40% of people with OCD have a close relative with obsessional traits
  • In identical twins, there is an 87% chance of one twin having OCD symptoms if the other twin has symptoms
  • In non-identical twin studies, there is a 47% chance that one twin will have OCD symptoms if the other one has symptoms

These studies suggest the genetic links OCD youth face could increase their risk of developing the condition. However, it’s important to remember that even if someone in your family has OCD, there is no guarantee you will develop it. In fact, to date, no specific gene has been identified as being responsible for OCD development

OCD and Brain Chemistry

As mentioned, it is also thought that certain brain chemicals called “neurotransmitters” may play a role in OCD. For example, research studies indicate that:13,21

  • Reduced glutamate transport in the brain may partially contribute to OCD
  • There may be an overlap between OCD and other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, or neurodevelopmental differences, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 

To summarize, studies suggest there may be a link between OCD development and certain brain chemicals. However, more research is needed to confirm this. 

OCD vs. PANS

Before moving on to other factors, it may be beneficial to mention a condition called “PANS” – pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. PANS is a rare medical condition that causes sudden neuropsychiatric symptoms. These symptoms start very quickly, within a day or two of a child catching an infection. Some of the symptoms of PANS can include compulsions, obsessions, changes to eating routines, tics, problems sleeping, moodiness, and anxiety.22

Although the symptoms of PANS can include obsessions and compulsions, it doesn’t necessarily mean your child has OCD. This is why an assessment from both medical and mental health professionals, such as therapists and doctors, is essential for ensuring the correct condition is being treated. 

Environmental Risk Factors for OCD

Links between environmental factors and OCD have also been proposed through research, such as early childhood trauma, parenting styles, family dynamics, and stress. We explore each of these potential contributors in the following sections. 

Childhood Trauma

Research shows that with childhood trauma OCD risk is higher. Therefore, trauma, abuse, neglect, or adverse experiences could increase the risk of a person developing OCD.23,24 The reason for this link could be attributed to a concept called “mental decontamination,” in which someone performs rituals in an attempt to “cleanse” themselves mentally.25,26

Parenting Styles and Family Dynamics

At first glance, the link between parenting style OCD risk factors may not appear clear. However, research suggests that certain parenting styles might increase a teen’s risk for developing OCD. For example, critical, controlling, rejecting, or over-protective parenting styles. These behaviors may contribute to a child or teen developing anxiety or perfectionistic tendencies, which could make them more susceptible to OCD.27,28

Family dynamics can also play a role in the continuation of OCD in children and teens. For instance, sometimes parents attempt to help their child with OCD without the correct knowledge or understanding. They may also engage in something known as “accommodations”: helping their child to avoid triggers, providing reassurance, or assisting them with rituals. Accommodations can mean that, unintentionally, parents reinforce their teen’s OCD cycles, or may even make the condition worse.29

Stress

Stress can negatively impact many mental health conditions, including OCD in teenagers. Although day-to-day stress doesn’t typically cause OCD, it can trigger the condition or make symptoms worse. For instance, a stressed-out teen with increased anxiety, a lack of healthy coping mechanisms, and a genetic predisposition to OCD may use compulsions in an attempt to cope with overwhelm. 

Stress can come in different forms, including:

  • Academic pressure
  • Social changes
  • Hormonal fluctuations during puberty
  • Physical changes through adolescence
  • Trauma  
  • Psychological factors, such as pre-existing mental health conditions

Psychological Risk Factors for OCD

Often, people find they aren’t only affected by one mental health condition – they may also experience other mental health disorders at the same time. In fact, 90% of people with OCD have another mental health condition.30 Therefore, it is thought that OCD may be related to mental health issues such as anxiety, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, or tics.31

Furthermore, certain personality traits can increase a person’s vulnerability to OCD. These traits include:32,33

  • Perfectionism
  • Meticulousness
  • Unrealistic high standards
  • Extreme organization
  • An overdeveloped sense of responsibility
  • Trait anxiety 

When to Seek Help for OCD in Teenagers

It can be normal for teens to have certain personality quirks or routines. However, if your teen shows signs or symptoms of OCD, such as intrusive thoughts, repetitive behaviors, or severe anxiety that interferes with their day-to-day life, it may be time to seek professional guidance. 

Early treatment can make a big difference in recovery from OCD, as it can prevent symptoms from impacting academic performance and relationships. For instance, therapies such as exposure and response prevention (ERP) can be a highly effective approach for reducing OCD symptoms. In some cases, medication may also help. 

If your teen’s symptoms appeared suddenly after becoming ill with an infection, remember that it may be PANS-related. In this case, your child may need to have an additional medical assessment for diagnosis. 

It’s perhaps also good to recognize that while there may be many OCD risk factors teens face, some might not have any known causative factors. Therefore, just because your child might be genetically or environmentally predisposed, this doesn’t mean they will definitely develop OCD. Yet recognizing risk factors may allow you clarity and compassion when challenging behaviors arise – and increase the chances that you’ll know when to seek timely support. 

treatment for OCD in teenagers

Healing From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Mission Prep

OCD can feel overwhelming for teens, but also for the family members supporting them. Yet understanding the risk factors for OCD in teenagers can be empowering for many people. If you recognize the signs of OCD in your child, know that treatments are available to effectively manage this condition. And, more importantly, recovery is entirely possible. 

Here at Mission Prep, we specialize in helping teenagers overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder and other related mental health challenges with compassion, understanding, and evidence-based therapy. We also work closely with families to help create a safe and supportive environment for your teen to heal. 

If you are concerned about your teen’s OCD symptoms, reach out to us today to book a free, confidential consultation. We’re here to support your teen – and family – on the road to recovery. 

References

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