You’ve probably heard your teen make an offhand joke or comment like, “I’m so OCD” when they’re organizing their schoolwork or color-coding their calendar. But obsessive-compulsive disorder shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s a mental health condition that can have a significant impact on your teen’s quality of life. That’s why it’s important to know a preliminary step to take toward a potential diagnosis: an online OCD test.

When your teen is having emotional, mental and behavioral patterns that are interfering with their quality of life, talking to their pediatrician about your concerns is essential. But did you know that there are online tests that your teen can take to see how they align with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms?

It can be helpful to know what you can expect when your teen takes an online OCD test and what steps should follow.

What a parent can expect when their teen takes an online OCD test

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder. It affects up to 3% of the U.S. teen population. It involves obsessions, which are unwanted repetitive thoughts, and compulsions, which are routines or rituals that they feel compelled to perform to temporarily soothe their anxiety.

The goal of an online OCD test is to help your teen gain an awareness of their emotional, cognitive and behavioral patterns. They’ll see how those patterns align with the diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The test will ask questions about their experience with symptoms that are outlined in the DSM-5-TR.

It’s important that you don’t force your teen to take an online OCD test before they’re ready, or choose their answers for them. You’re there as a support system and to help them take the right steps after they get their results.

Here’s what you can expect when your teen takes an online OCD test:

• Overthinking and analyzing — Mental health is complicated, with very few straightforward answers. An online OCD test can cause teens to overthink aspects about themselves. For example, if the question asks, “Do you feel anxious when your documents aren’t organized?” they may start to overanalyze the subject. They might say things like, “I don’t like when they aren’t organized, but I don’t know if they make me anxious.” You can help make sure that they’re answering to the best of their ability.
• Debate about answers — Branching off the previous point, it’s possible that if your teen is taking an online OCD test, they’ll ask for your opinion when they’re unsure about the answer. They may ask about your perception of their behaviors and emotions. Maybe you see that they’re downplaying the severity of some of their symptoms. While you shouldn’t say things like, “No, you’re wrong,” you can help them navigate their thinking process to come to the best conclusions.
• Potentially negative emotions — No matter how common they are, thinking about the possibility of having a mental health condition can be quite upsetting for your teen. They may start to think poorly about themselves as they recognize symptoms while answering the questions. It’s important that you validate their feelings while making sure they know that there’s nothing wrong with them. Even if the results show they are likely to have OCD, it’s a step in the right direction on their mental health journey.

• Lack of guaranteed results — The most important thing to remember when your teen takes an online OCD test is that it’s not a diagnostic test. While it’s based on diagnostic criteria used by mental health care professionals, an online test can’t provide a 100% guaranteed, conclusive answer about whether your teen has OCD. It can let them know how much they align with the criteria and determine the likelihood of a diagnosis when your teen seeks one from a mental health professional.

What to do after your teen takes an online OCD test

If your teen is exhibiting persistent or worsening mental health challenges, they should talk to their doctor. If they believe that they have enough symptoms to take an online OCD test in the first place, then it’s enough of a call of concern, regardless of the results. Theirdoctor will likely refer them to a psychiatrist or psychologist for formal diagnostic testing.

Even if your teen doesn’t have a diagnosable condition, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, they may still require mental health treatment for their anxiety. Psychotherapy is an effective option for teens facing any mental health challenges. If their symptoms are interfering with their overall quality of life, they may benefit from Lightfully Teen’s levels of care, such as an Intensive Outpatient Program.

Change is possible for your teen. When they’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of them.