Suffering in Silence: Examining Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors in the School Setting

Building a comprehensive school counseling program requires an awareness of the myriad of personal and social issues facing students today (American School Counseling Association [ASCA], 2012). One such issue is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its accompanying behaviors, which are now considered much more common in children and adolescents than previously reported (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], 2010). Yet, information to guide the professional school counselor (PSC) remains largely absent in the counseling literature. Therefore, this paper aims to expand awareness concerning OCD and its behavioral subtypes and provide examples of how these behaviors can manifest themselves in the school environment. Implications for professional school counselors, as well as additional research needs are also provided.