Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the DSM-5

Whereas the specific diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have changed in only minor ways in the transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5, a more substantial change is that OCD is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder. Rather, it is now the flagship diagnosis of a new diagnostic category: the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs). In this article, we describe the nature of obsessional problems as determined through empirical research before turning to a consideration of how OCD is defined in previous editions of the DSM and in DSM-5. We then critically consider the DSM criteria, as well as the basis for removing OCD from the anxiety disorders and creating the new OCRD category. Finally, we consider the implications of these changes for clinical practice and research on OCD.