Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Self-reported obsessive-compulsive behaviour in pupils in Denmark.

A total of 1032 pupils in Denmark aged 11-17 years completed a survey form of the Leyton Obsessional Inventory - child version, consisting of 20 items. These pupils had higher scores for obsessional symptoms or traits than high school students in the United States, also when corrected for age differences, but the most frequently reported symptoms seemed to be the same: repetitive thoughts or words, having trouble making up one's mind and worrying about being clean enough. There was no significant sex difference in total score. From 0.5% to 5% reported considerable interference by each obsessional symptom, and 4.1% had a total interference score > 25, reflecting possible subclinical or clinical obsessive-compulsive disorder.