OCD and Black Americans

About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly disabling and distressing disorder, which has made it one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD afflicts 2.2 million American adults. OCD is equally common among men and women, causing significant and pervasive impairment in multiple domains, including home life, work, and relationships. OCD-related costs have previously been estimated at $8 billion dollars annually in the US.

People with OCD experience multiple barriers to treatment, including difficulty locating affordable help, cultural stigma, and lack of knowledge about treatment options. Minorities with OCD are absent from speciality treatment centers and research studies. The CMHD is dedicated to conducting research to address these problems and the resulting mental health disparity.

National Survey of Black Americans

OCD afflicts an estimated 1.6% of the American population, and the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) found that Black Americans experience OCD at rates equivalent to the general population, however very few receive treatment, indicating a substantial health disparity.

The CMHD is working with collaborators at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor on quality of life issues in Black Americans with OCD. We are examining the impact of OCD in African Americans and Caribbean American immigrants with regards to relationships and help-seeking behaviors, as well as other areas such as symptom presentation, educational attainment, and incarceration. Participants in this study included 3,570 African Americans and 891 Non-Hispanic whites from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) epidemiological study. Measures used included a structured psychiatric interview to assess both 12-month and lifetime DSM-IV disorders and various quality of life variables. Results indicate that different anxiety disorders in African Americans are uniquely associated with different amounts of perceived family closeness, reduced educational attainment, and decreased treatment-seeking when compared with African Americans and European Americans with no disorders.

Recent Papers

Williams, M. T., Taylor, R. J., George, J. R., Schlaudt, V., Chatters, L. C., & Ifatunji, M. A. (2021). Correlates of obsessive-compulsive symptoms among Black Caribbean Americans. International Journal of Mental Health, 50(1), 53-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2020.1826261

Williams, M. T., Taylor, R. J., Mouzon, D. M., Oshin, L., Himle, J. A., & Chatters, L. M. (2017). Discrimination and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder among African Americans. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(6), 636-645. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000285

Himle, J. A., Taylor, R. J., Nguyen, A. W., Williams, M. T., Lincoln, K. D., Taylor, H. O., & Chatters, L. M. (2017). Family and friendship networks and obsessive-compulsive disorder among African Americans and Black Caribbeans. The Behavior Therapist, 40(3), 99-105.

Williams, M. T., Taylor, R., Chatters, L. M., & Himle, J. (2017). Demographic and health-related correlates of obsessive-compulsive symptoms among African Americans. Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, 14, 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2017.07.001

OCD & Racism

Racism makes OCD worse in people of color.

People of color are more likely to be misdiagnosed and undertreated for OCD, as symptoms may revolve around experiences of race and racism. As a result, racial discrimination can create confusing symptoms in BIPOC with OCD. Learn more about barriers to care in OCD.

Racist Fears & OCD

OCD can cause constant fear of being a racist.

In the face of months of anti-racism protests nationwide, there has been a rise in people suffering from obsessive-compulsive thoughts surrounding racism and racist behavior. There does exist some scientific literature linking racist experiences to an increase in OCD symptoms in general. However, there are few, if any, authoritative accounts of OCD causing unwanted thoughts about being racist. Learn more about this perplexing form of OCD.

Popular Press

Jacob, G., Flower, N., & Williams, M. (2021, March 31). Black American Celebrities and Notables with OCD. Psychology Today.