We will now examine who can develop OCD and why this might happen. We will look at population data on OCD. The role of inheritance, genetics, and possible environmental factors will be discussed, as well as the idea of developing resilience. Next, we will explore OCD throughout the life cycle. OCD is a common disorder in childhood and seems to have some differences compared to adult-onset OCD. Following a discussion of OCD in childhood or early adult life, we will look at how the pattern changes throughout the years and into middle and old age. A frequent time for development of OCD in younger women is at times of pregnancy and childbirth. This will be discussed in detail in .

This chapter will also examine how culture may have an effect on the presentation of OCD. For example, all religions involve ritual and symbolic behaviours which have some similarities to OCD but generally do not take over a person’s life. When OCD features religious ideas, other members of the same religion can often distinguish that the person with OCD is taking this to an extreme.