OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) effects 2-3 million adults in the United States, with 1.8% of those effected being women (Harvard 2007). It typically presents during developmental teen years. Unfortunately, it is often misunderstood as “just being finicky” or “caring too much about being orderly.” In reality, OCD comes in many different forms and is often debilitating, especially for women. From NOCD, the only startup addressing the needs and symptoms of people living with OCD:
Women are 1.6 times more likely to have OCD than men.
In general, men with OCD are more likely to start developing symptoms during childhood, but women are more likely to start in adolescence and adulthood.
Women with OCD tend to have significantly more depression and anxiety than others.
Women are more likely to have obsessions that center around themes like contamination and cleaning than other people.
Women are also more likely to report symptoms of somatic OCD, a kind of OCD that focuses on physical sensations like breathing, blinking, or swallowing.
OCD is more common in people who are pregnant and postpartum than in the general population.
When comparing men and women, research suggests that men with OCD are more likely to be single while women with OCD are more likely to be married.
Some studies have indicated that about 20-42% of women experience worsening OCD symptoms in the week before their periods.
Current Startup Scene
NOCD is the only startup specifically focused on managing and supporting OCD through targeted therapist matching. NOCD raised $34M in 2023. 🎉 We love seeing the VC support for such organizations, as it indicates they are interested in solving mental health issues. NOCD offers a lot of awareness about how OCD especially affects women and are very transparent about the unique needs of women to manage symptoms. We love that. 🚺
In research, the National Institute for Health in the United States provided $21,992,802 in funding in 2023. The largest fundee was the National Institute for Mental Health.
Community
Here are some resources for those looking for more support, information, and better care for themselves or a loved one.
Reddit — an active subreddit of over 206k members
NOCD — OCD-specific therapy
International OCD Foundation — support groups and therapy resources (including specialties for body dyspmorphic disorder)
Mind — detailed descriptions and a self-care regimen specific to OCD
The OCD Stories — a podcast sharing personal experiences (sponsored by NOCD)
OCD Excellence — instagram profile sharing infographics about OCD
Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding resources specific to women. We hope to change that. We hope you’ll join us.