As a parent, it can be terrifying to suspect your child is experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). What can make it even scarier is not knowing exactly what's going on. Is it OCD or something else? We created this OCD test for teens to help you start getting answers.

Keep in mind, there is no online test that can tell you whether your teen truly lives with OCD. The only way to know for sure is to get your child evaluated by a mental health professional. Getting the right diagnosis for your child is the best way you can get them the treatment they deserve, whether they're experiencing symptoms of OCD or something else.

Do you have a teen who’s diagnosed with OCD? Learn more about our upcoming adolescent OCD group, meeting in-person in Glendale AZ, every Wednesday evening. Starts on August 12th. Register today!

Online OCD test for parents of teens

This online OCD test is based on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), which is a clinically validated ODD screening tool. The CY-BOCS is often used in both research and clinical settings to measure OCD in children and teens.

We've rewritten the questions in a way that invites you, the parent, to answer them. You can go through the questions together with your teen if they're open to it. You can also try to answer the questions yourself based on what you've observed in your child.

Read through the following symptoms, and check the ones that affect your teen. The more symptoms they experience, the more likely they may be to live with OCD.

Remember, this test (nor any other online test) can provide a diagnosis or definitively tell you whether your teen lives with OCD. To get a diagnosis, visit a licensed mental health professional.

Teen OCD Obsessions

In the past week, has your teen experienced intrusive and unwanted thoughts about...

• Germs, dirt, bodily fluids, chemicals, or contaminated objects?
• Accidentally hurting someone or themselves because they weren't careful enough?
• Violent or frightening images that they can't get out of their mind?
• Something terrible happening to them or someone they love?
• Unwanted sexual thoughts or images that feel upsetting or against their values?
• Committing a sin/crime or being a bad person?
• Things needing to be symmetrical or “just right”?
• Making a mistake or doing something imperfectly?
• Losing important information or accidentally throwing something valuable away?
• The possibility that they have a serious illness like AIDS?
• Blurting out an obscenity or an insult (like a racial slur)?
• Their identity or relationships, even when there isn't a clear reason to doubt them?

Teen OCD Compulsions

In the past week, have you noticed your teen engaging in repetitive behaviors like...

• Washing their hands, showering, or grooming excessively?
• Cleaning objects repeatedly or refusing to touch things they believe are contaminated?
• Checking locks, appliances, homework, messages, etc. over and over again to make sure they didn’t make a mistake?
• Checking themselves and other people to make sure they haven’t harmed anybody?
• Asking you or other people for reassurance repeatedly, even after you've already answered their question?
• Confessing things to you (thoughts and/or actions) that don't require confession?
• Repeating actions until they feel “just right”?
• Arranging objects in an exact order or making things symmetrical?
• Counting objects or repeating activities a specific number of times?
• Tapping, touching, blinking, or making other repeated movements?
• Silently praying or replacing a “bad” thought with a “good” one?
• Playing “games,” like stepping over the cracks in sidewalks, that come with a lot of anxiety?
• Mentally reviewing conversations (including text threads) or their memories to make sure they didn't do anything wrong?
• Avoiding people, places, objects, or activities because they could trigger intrusive thoughts?

If your child experiences some or many of these symptoms, they may live with OCD. 

Keep in mind that teens with OCD can experience only one type of obsession (and related compulsion). So your teen experiences even one of these symptoms to the point where it’s getting in the way of life, then it could be beneficial to get an OCD evaluation.

What else could it be? Other conditions that can be mistaken for OCD

‍OCD is notoriously misunderstood, even within the mental health community (that's why it's so important to work with providers who have expertise in OCD treatment).

OCD symptoms can sometimes look like, and be confused for, other mental health conditions. Most adolescents with OCD also live with co-occurring conditions (which means they have OCD and another mental health condition at the same time).

• Generalized anxiety disorder: The most common anxiety disorder that causes excessive worrying about a wide range of topics. The important difference between GAD and OCD is that GAD doesn't cause compulsive behaviors. Worries also tend to be more grounded in reality (like worrying about an upcoming test rather than whether they will accidentally hurt someone).
• Social anxiety disorder: Social anxiety causes intense fear of being judged or rejected in social situations. A teen with social anxiety may replay conversations or avoid other people because they're worried about how they came across. With OCD, social fears are more likely to involve intrusive doubts and compulsions, such as repeatedly asking whether they offended someone.
• Health anxiety: Health anxiety causes an ongoing fear that you have or will develop a serious health condition. Like OCD, it can lead to body-checking, reassurance-seeking, and excessive online research. OCD may involve broader intrusive fears about illness or contamination, along with rituals the teen believes they must complete to prevent harm. Because these conditions can look so similar, an evaluation is often needed to tell the difference.
• Specific phobia: A specific phobia causes intense fear of a particular object or situation, such as needles, vomiting, or dogs. A teen may avoid the trigger, but they usually don't experience the intrusive doubts and compulsive rituals associated with OCD. Some fears can be difficult to tell apart, like contamination OCD and blood phobia.
• Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome: Tics are repeated movements or sounds, such as blinking, tapping, or throat-clearing. They tend to be driven by an uncomfortable physical urge. OCD compulsions are usually connected to an intrusive thought or a rule the teen feels they must follow.
• Autism spectrum disorder: Autistic teens may follow strict routines or engage in repetitive behaviors that look like compulsions. These behaviors are usually helpful and provide comfort. OCD rituals are more likely to feel unwanted and be driven by fear or disgust.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: PTSD can cause intrusive thoughts, distressing images, and avoidance. But with PTSD, these symptoms are connected to a traumatic experience that actually occurred. OCD obsessions usually involve imagined events or feared possibilities that the teen tries to prevent through compulsions.

How to get your teen evaluated for OCD

The first step to getting your teen the treatment they need is to get the right diagnosis. 

You can start by making an appointment with your teen's pediatrician or primary care provider. They may ask about your child's symptoms and rule out other health conditions that could be contributing. They can also refer you to a mental health professional.

You can usually go directly to a licensed mental health professional, like a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, who specializes in adolescent mental health. You do not usually need a referral unless your insurance plan requires one. Look for someone who has specific experience evaluating and treating OCD in teens. Ask whether they provide exposure and response prevention (ERP), the evidence-based therapy recommended for OCD.

During the evaluation, the provider will usually talk with both you and your teen. They'll ask about the type of thoughts your teen is having and how they react to them. They'll also look at how much time compulsive behaviors take up, and how much they interfere with school or everyday life. They may ask your teen what they fear would happen if they didn't perform compulsions.

Some, but not all, providers use the CY-BOCS or another assessment tool to understand the severity of symptoms. 

Will my teen grow out of OCD?

Children and teens very rarely grow out of OCD on their own. This isn't a normal phase that passes over time. OCD is a serious health condition that requires treatment. Without treatment, these symptoms can affect your child's development and quality-of-life, even into adulthood.

The effects of untreated OCD can include:

• Compulsions that take up more time and become harder to resist
• Falling grades or truancy due to severe avoidance
• Negative impacts on friendships and social development
• Conflict at home, especially when family members get pulled into reassurance or rituals
• Difficulty developing age-appropriate independence
• Higher likelihood of developing co-occurring depression, low self-esteem, or feelings of hopelessness
• Problems preparing for college or other adult responsibilities

As a parent, we understand this is frightening to hear. We don't provide this information to scare you, but to encourage you to get treatment for your child if you suspect OCD. 

Treatment for OCD in young people has been found to be highly effective. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) can help teens face their fears without completing compulsions, which allows the OCD cycle to become weaker over time. Acceptance and commitment therapy can also be very effective, especially because ERP can sometimes feel frightening for teens.

Group therapy for teens with OCD in Phoenix

If your teen is between 13 and 17 and has an OCD diagnosis, Thrive Therapy's Adolescent OCD Group can help them practice facing fears, tolerate uncertainty, and connect with other teens who understand what they're going through.

The group uses both ERP and ACT to help teens change how they respond to intrusive thoughts and reduce compulsive behaviors. Teens will complete supported exposure exercises and create a personalized set of tools for managing OCD. They’ll even make their own fidget toy!

Our next Adolescent OCD Group meets in person at our Glendale office on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., from August 12 through September 30, 2026. Learn more about the group and register today.

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