Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Risk Factors: The Role of Genetics, Environment, & Development

Hayley Snelling
September 5, 2025
Authored by: Hayley Snelling, B.S. Psychology
Edited by: Emma Loker, B.S
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If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of obsessions or repetitive behaviors that you can’t seem to control, you’re not alone. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects one in every hundred adults in America, yet many people struggle in silence.1

Understanding where obsessive-compulsive disorder begins can be a powerful step toward healing. So, why does someone develop OCD? While there is no known single cause, science has identified several key risk factors for OCD development, including genetics, stressful life experiences, and brain chemistry. 

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with OCD, suspect you might have it, or are simply curious about its origins, this article can help you to better understand the causes of OCD. On this page, we’ll explore:

  • What OCD is
  • Genetics and OCD
  • Environmental OCD risk factors
  • Childhood influences on OCD
  • OCD early warning signs
  • Coping strategies for OCD
  • Finding professional support for OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Risk Factors

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects 2.5 million adults in the U.S.1 The American Psychological Association defines it as a condition “…characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that prompt the performance of neutralizing rituals (compulsions).”2 Let’s break down what this really means.

Obsessions and Compulsions in OCD

OCD causes a person to have intrusive, repetitive thoughts that can cause them great distress. In an attempt to feel better, this person may carry out certain behaviors or “rituals” that temporarily help their anxiety and fear dissipate. 

We’re all likely familiar with certain characters from TV shows who have an extreme focus on issues like cleanliness. These fictional characters actually display traits highly similar to those experienced in real life. 

For example, they may have obsessions about picking up germs and either becoming ill or causing someone else to become ill. To lessen the feelings of stress, they might wash their hands over and over. However, this feeling of relief doesn’t last – the obsessions return, and the person feels compelled to wash their hands again and again. 

OCD isn’t just about cleanliness, though. Nor is it only about needing things to be in order. People can also have obsessions centered around checking, morality, religion, identity, violence, or sex. Plus, the theme of obsessions can often relate to something a person values highly in their life. This is why they often trigger such distress.3 

Early signs of OCD will be explored later in this article, and you can view more detailed symptoms on our page, OCD Signs and Symptoms. 

Impact of OCD

OCD symptoms can vary in severity and type, sometimes being so intense that they interfere with work, relationships, or daily functioning. Without treatment, obsessive-compulsive tendencies can worsen, making daily life difficult to manage. 

Additionally, 90% of people with OCD also tend to have another mental health disorder, such as anxiety or a mood disorder.4

It can be helpful to understand more about where this condition arises from, and while you may not be able to pinpoint an exact cause, recognizing risk factors could provide some clarity. 

What Causes OCD?

A question people often ask is “Why does someone develop OCD?” Unfortunately, the precise cause isn’t currently known. However, research tells us there may be a combination of factors that could contribute to OCD development. These factors can include:5,6 

  • Genetics
  • Environment
  • Childhood experiences

The following information in this article explores each of these risk factors for OCD development in greater detail, so that you can build a greater understanding of how OCD begins. 

Genetic Risk Factors for OCD Development

When examining genetic risk factors for OCD, there are two key points to consider: 

  1. Whether OCD can be “passed down” through family generations
  2. The influence of individual brain chemistry on OCD development 

OCD mental health research has investigated these factors, and the findings from this research are summarized below:

Family History OCD: Can You Inherit OCD?

Historically, OCD has been observed to run in families. This means that genetics may play a role in the condition being passed down through generations. Research studies that have been carried out in this area show that:7-13

  • Up to one in ten people with OCD also have a relative with OCD
  • Up to four in ten people with OCD have a close relative who has “obsessional traits”
  • In identical twins, if one twin has OCD symptoms, there is an 87% chance that the other twin will also have OCD symptoms
  • In non-identical twins, there is a 47% chance of one twin having OCD symptoms if the other one also does
  • Genetic factors may account for up to 47% of adult OCD cases
Clearly, this research indicates a strong link between family history and OCD development. However, it’s important not to think that this is a fate from which you cannot escape. There is no guarantee that you will develop OCD if your relative lives with it.

Brain Chemistry and OCD

It has been thought that certain chemicals in the brain called “neurotransmitters” may play a role in OCD vulnerability. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that relay information between the brain and the body, so this link may make sense. However, what does the research tell us about this theory? So far, studies tell us that:7,14

  • There isn’t currently one specific gene responsible for OCD
  • Reduced glutamate transport in the brain may be partly responsible for OCD development
  • There may be an overlap between OCD and other disorders, such as anxiety disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

To put this information as simply as possible, there may be a link between OCD and certain brain chemicals; however, more research is needed to confirm this.

Environmental OCD Triggers

The environment someone lives in can affect their overall health, including their mental well-being. It’s, therefore, understandable that one of the risk factors for OCD development could be our environment. Environmental factors might include trauma, work problems, parenting, relationship strain, and major life transitions. In other words, stress can make mental health conditions worsen, and OCD is no exception. But what is the evidence for an environmental factors OCD link? 

Researchers have found a link between an increased risk of developing OCD and adverse perinatal events, birth complications, early-life stress, and other forms of trauma.15 Additionally, studies have found that adults with OCD report stressful life events, such as abuse, injury, or illness, before the onset of the condition.16,17

However, it is thought that, rather than environmental events causing OCD, they may instead trigger it in someone who already has an OCD predisposition.18 

In the next section, we briefly overview how childhood experiences can shed light on adult symptoms of OCD. 

Childhood Experiences and OCD Development Factors

Understanding how our earliest experiences affect our brains may help bring compassion and understanding to adults with OCD vulnerability and their symptoms. 

Early childhood experiences, for example, trauma, abuse, or neglect, can significantly increase the risk of a person developing OCD.19 This could be due to a concept called “mental contamination” – a feeling of internalized “dirtiness” or disgust.20 It’s estimated that 46% of people with OCD experience mental contamination. Therefore, they may feel compelled to perform specific rituals in attempts to “cleanse” themselves.21

In addition, people may be more likely to develop OCD earlier in life if they had adverse childhood experiences compared to those who didn’t.22

Current Data on OCD

Although research into the risk factors for OCD development is continuing, it can be useful to look at data from the world around us to see how OCD impacts adults. For instance:23,24

  • OCD begins, on average, between the ages of 10 and 21 years
  • It’s estimated that 1.2% of U.S. adults experienced OCD in the past year
  • OCD tends to affect females (1.8%) more than males (0.5%)
  • Among adults with OCD, roughly half had serious impairment, a third had moderate impairment, while the remainder experienced only mild impairment
  • Pregnant and post-partum women are more likely to experience OCD compared to the general population
Unfortunately, there are many myths and misconceptions about OCD, ranging from it being a “personality quirk” to being a “phase” that will go away. Hopefully, the information provided so far has given you a better understanding of how OCD may develop. There’s no question that obsessive-compulsive disorder is a serious and real mental health condition that can significantly impact someone’s day-to-day life. However, it is treatable, and one of the first steps in recovery is recognizing the symptoms.  The following sections cover the early warning signs of OCD and what can be done to manage these symptoms. 

Early Warning Signs of OCD

OCD can manifest itself through obsessional themes such as fear of contamination or dirt, uncertainty issues, needing things to be orderly, or thoughts about harming yourself or others. It can also present itself through unwanted thoughts, for example, regarding aggression, sexual, or religious topics.25

Alongside obsessions come compulsions. These compulsions often have themes, for example, washing or cleaning, counting, checking, putting things in order, reassurance seeking, or repeating phrases either out loud or silently.25

It’s important to recognize the early warning OCD signs so that you can receive the help and support needed to manage this condition effectively. An OCD diagnosis not only considers obsessions and compulsions, but also looks at how much of a problem they are for someone’s life. For this reason, when watching for OCD signs, a person should take into account symptoms such as:26

  • Experiencing obsessions or compulsions 
  • Feeling unable to control these obsessions or compulsions
  • Spending more than one hour a day on obsessions or compulsions
  • Not obtaining pleasure from performing compulsions
  • Feeling only a temporary relief when performing rituals
  • Obsessions or rituals causing problems in daily life
  • Avoiding situations that may trigger OCD
  • Recognizing that compulsions or obsessions do not make sense, but feeling powerless over engaging in them

Regardless of whether a person may have risk factors for OCD development, experiencing some of the above symptoms could be an indicator of the condition. Remember that OCD is a mental health disorder that can be very effectively treated and managed. The next section explores different ways to manage OCD.

Tips for Managing OCD

OCD may often feel overwhelming and unmanageable, but there are things you can do to help you through recovery. If you are looking for tips on managing OCD, the following suggestions may help:

  • Learning about OCD: Understanding your condition can help you to have self-compassion when things feel overwhelming. It can also enable you to increase your self-awareness, aiding your recovery. 
  • Practicing self-care: Looking after your health and well-being is important when recovering from OCD. Remember to prioritize self-care. For instance, getting quality sleep, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet can make a big difference in your healing. 
  • Creating a mindfulness practice: Techniques such as mindfulness can help someone to acknowledge thoughts when they pop into their head without feeling the need to act on them. In this way, mindfulness could be useful for building up tolerance to obsessions during OCD treatment plans. 
  • Focusing on one day at a time: OCD can feel worse on some days and better on others. Therefore, the road to recovery can feel long, filled with ups and downs. Through all of this, it’s important to remember to just focus on today. Don’t compare your recovery journey to other people’s. Try to be patient, show yourself some compassion, and be kind to your mind.
  • Joining a support group: OCD support groups can offer support, advice, and a feeling of community in a safe space, where you can share your experiences with others who face similar challenges. 
  • Finding professional treatment: Engaging in therapy can be very effective for improving OCD symptoms and reducing anxiety overall. OCD can be difficult to control, and you don’t have to cope alone.

Healing From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder With Mission Connection

Understanding the risk factors for OCD development can be empowering. While the causes of OCD may be complex and varied, awareness helps reduce stigma and encourages accessing early support. If you recognize some of the patterns of OCD within yourself, know that help is available, and effective treatments exist. 

Here at Mission Connection, we help people overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder by pairing evidence-based therapies with compassionate support. By creating an individualized treatment plan, we ensure that therapies and interventions are tailored to meet your personal needs and goals. 

If you’re ready to break free from the OCD cycle, contact us today. We’re here to support you on the road to recovery. 

treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder risk factors

References

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