Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects approximately 1–3% of the population, with symptoms often emerging or worsening during the college years.
Despite it prevalence, OCD frequently goes unrecognized on campus, as students may present with perfectionism, procrastination, excessive reassurance seeking, social withdrawal, academic struggles, or generalized anxiety rather than the stereotypical symptoms of contamination fears or visible rituals. Without appropriate identification and intervention, well-intentioned support and accommodations can inadvertently reinforce OCD and contribute to ongoing impairment.
This webinar will provide college counselors and campus mental health professionals with practical strategies for recognizing both common and less obvious presentations of OCD, differentiating OCD from generalized anxiety and perfectionism, and responding in ways that support recovery rather than symptom maintenance. Participants will learn the fundamentals of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), explore the role of accommodations within a recovery-oriented framework, and identify when referral to specialized OCD treatment or a higher level of care is indicated. Through clinical examples and case discussion, attendees will leave with evidence-based tools to better support students with OCD as they navigate the unique challenges of college life.