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| |  Shame, Secrecy Hinder Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood OCD MARIETTA, Ga., May 12, 1997 -- There is an old adage -- "Children should be seen and not heard" -- but according to a new national survey of adults who had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) while growing up, silence is the greatest obstacle, keeping the estimated one million children and adolescents with OCD from getting help. Survey respondents said they waited an average of 20 years before telling anyone about the obsessions and compulsive rituals that controlled their lives. Breaking years of silence about his own OCD, Marc Summers, host of "Double Dare," the children’s game show on Nickelodeon, emerges as a role model in a new national campaign to destigmatize childhood OCD. The campaign is designed to help parents, other caregivers and health care providers better recognize the symptoms of OCD, and provide access to help. "From the time I was a kid I had symptoms of OCD. It took 25 years to learn my symptoms had a name and could be treated," said Summers. "It’s been a relief to find out that I wasn’t alone with my disorder." Campaign to Raise Public Awareness of Childhood OCD The public service campaign -- "KIDS LIKE ME" -- relates the important message that children with OCD are not alone. The campaign, developed by Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., in partnership with the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation, includes television public service announcements featuring Marc Summers, a children’s book, a brochure for parents, a toll-free OCD information line provided as a service from Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc. (1-800-NEWS-4-OCD/800-639-7462) and an OCD resource website (http://www.ocdresource.com). "We are proud to be a part of this new campaign," said James Broatch, executive director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. "It will serve to educate millions of people about childhood OCD at a time when the majority of children with OCD go undiagnosed and untreated for many years. We can all be inspired by Marc Summers because he sets a great example for kids facing OCD." Need for Public Education OCD patients themselves attest to the need for wider understanding about the disorder. --The survey reveals that while growing up, 80 percent of adults with OCD found it difficult to explain their symptoms to others. --Embarrassment, lack of knowledge about the disorder and fear of being misunderstood were the most commonly cited reasons for keeping quiet. --A majority of respondents said that OCD negatively impacted the following aspects of their developing years: enjoyment of their childhood (81 percent), relationship with their parents (63 percent), academic performance (58 percent), participation in activities (56 percent), and the ability to make and keep friends (55 percent). --More than 56 percent thought they could "pull themselves together" or "snap out of it," while almost half thought they would "outgrow" OCD. --The top two wishes among survey participants were an earlier diagnosis (27 percent) and earlier treatment (24 percent). The survey was conducted by mail with 696 adult Americans who currently have OCD and who also had OCD as children. Designed and conducted by Ketchum Public Relations Research and Measurement Department for Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc., it was undertaken to assess the impact that OCD has had on those who grew up with the disorder. Recognizing and Treating OCD OCD is a biological brain disorder thought to be caused by an imbalance of the brain chemical serotonin. Typical obsessions in children and adolescents include fear of contamination, fixation with lucky and unlucky numbers, fear of intruders, need for orderliness and excessive doubt. These anxiety-provoking thoughts can lead to such compulsions as cleaning, washing, touching, counting, organizing, checking and hoarding. This time-consuming disorder is particularly debilitating because it affects children during a critical period of social and educational development. "The good news is that OCD is treatable," said Eric Hollander, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "The majority of people, including children and adolescents respond well to therapy. This campaign will help to destigmatize the disorder and will allow more kids to talk to mom or dad about their symptoms." New treatment guidelines for OCD recommend cognitive-behavior therapy, combined with medication. A new group of medications, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been shown to act upon the chemical imbalance in the brain thought to lead to OCD. One of these SSRIs, Luvox(R) (fluvoxamine maleate) Tablets, developed in the U.S. by Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., recently became the first in its class to receive clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OCD in children and adolescents. Luvox(R) Tablets has been available to treat OCD in adults since 1994. Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc. formed a strategic alliance in May 1991 to jointly market Luvox(R) Tablets in the United States. The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation Inc. is a national not-for-profit foundation dedicated to providing support, education and advocacy for individuals with OCD, their family members, and the mental health community. The mission of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation is to expand research, understanding and treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Marietta, Georgia, is a research-based pharmaceutical company active in the therapeutic areas of mental health, women’s health and gastroenterology. It is a member of the Solvay Group of chemical and pharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Pharmacia & Upjohn, is a global, innovation-driven pharmaceutical and health care company. Pharmacia & Upjohn’s products, services and employees demonstrate its commitment to improve wellness and quality of life for people around the world.
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