Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be diagnosed to patients of any gender and of any age. Still, research and studies show two categories and range of age where the disorder has greater risk of occurrence. Individuals with age’s 10 to 12 and18 to 23 are those who are likely to be diagnosed with the disorder and to experience the obsession and compulsion symptoms. Those who are diagnosed and experience the symptoms of the disorder during their puberty stage are considered to have an early onset of OCD. On the other hand, those who have the disorder during their adolescence are known to have a late onset of OCD. Because of the variance in the factors affecting the condition of the disorder, treatments with regard to the symptoms also differ from one patient to another.

There is a difference between the number of males and females diagnosed with the disorder on the early and late onsets. Study and research show that most patients identified with OCD on the early onset are males. On the other hand, there is a proportion in the diagnosis of the disorder between males and females having OCD during late onsets.

When obsessive and compulsive symptoms appear on an earlier stage, they are found to be more severe than having them on the later stage in life. Also, the more severe they are the more difficult they are when treated with medication and psychological therapies. Individuals having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on their puberty are recommended to have more medications to ease the burden of their symptoms.

Early onset OCD patients manifest symptoms gradually or from time to time while adolescence with the disorder experiences fast manifestations of their obsessions and compulsions and are usually prone to suicide attempts and stressful moods.

There is a co-morbidity of OCD with other illness or OCD may be accompanied by other disorders as well. Usually the beginning of other illnesses is found upon manifestation of the OCD symptoms. Early onset of the disorder is commonly accompanied by Tourette Syndrome while late onset of the disorder is usually found and related with stress, depression and other anxiety disorders like panic disorder.

The brain functions of OCD patients also vary from their early or late onset. Brain imaging explains that OCD patients having early onset usually experience a shrink on certain parts of their brains. On the other hand, this reduction I not experienced by OCD patients on the later onset.