Case Study: Using the Supplemental Information from the DSM-5 (found under Course Content), explain whether or not Katie's behavior meets the criteria for
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. (10 points)
Katie is a 27-year old woman who complained of excessive "checking". Her symptoms dated back to her childhood when she spent hours on homework
because of a need to have each page perfect with no erase-marks or cross outs, and hours arranging her room so that it was in perfect order before sleeping. By
high school she couldn't complete assignments until after the term had ended and did not participate in any extra-curricular activities because her time was spent
checking work assignments.
When Katie entered college she developed new checking rituals to assure herself that she had not caused harm to anyone around her (e.g., checking
electrical appliances for fear that she had started a fire, faucets for fear that she had left them running, and door locks for fear that she had left them open). These
rituals began to consume several hours a day leading her to be late for class or to miss it entirely. Although she sought therapy, through the college counseling
center she did not tell the therapist about her obsessions and rituals for fear she would be labeled "crazy." Her bedtime rituals grew to three to four hours, leaving
her practically no time to sleep or study. Her appetite and mood plummeted and she stopped attending class.
She left college and returned home. Her parents, alarmed at the changes in their daughter, took her to a psychiatrist for help.
