OCD Kids

June 17, 2009

Parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder could be unintentionally enabling their kids to become more fearful than they should be. Because of this, University of Florida researchers say parents could be giving their kids with OCD the wrong impression.

Lisa Merlo/UF psychiatry researcher: “They were doing things that you would expect a parent or another loved one to do for a child to try and calm their fears, help them make it through the day, not fall behind in school, get along better with their friends… things like that. But, actually what they were doing is encouraging the OCD symptoms.”

If parents constantly tend to the fear, it reminds a child it’s okay to have some sort of unrealistic fear, like one of germs.

Lisa Merlo/UF psychiatry researcher: “What happens then is the fear actually begins to grow, and the pattern becomes more of a routine and becomes stronger for the child where they then continue the behavior because it seems to make sense not only to them, but now their parents and other family members are giving the message that it gives sense to them, too.”

Researchers say parents of OCD children should focus on fighting against the fear, rather than helping them allay it. This gives those children confidence to overcome it and motivation to stop the excessive behavior. At the University of Florida, I’m Merissa Richmond.