Introducing Shame, Self-Diagnosis, and Solidarity: OCD in the Digital Age

A research report about Gen Z's modern OCD journey.

OCD is a serious, often misunderstood mental health condition.

Despite growing awareness, it remains surrounded by misinformation, stigma, and barriers to care. Many people still struggle to find clinicians who recognize the full spectrum of symptoms, and intrusive thoughts are too often met with silence or shame instead of support.

But things are changing.

Over the past decade, the rise of digital communities, education, and advocacy on social media has transformed the OCD landscape. While it used to take decades to receive a diagnosis — an average of 14 to 17 years is the statistic commonly echoed in advocacy circles — our report found this timeline has shortened, and significant progress has been made.

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📊 KEY STATS

⭐️ The average time from symptom onset to diagnosis is 20.54 months 

⭐️ 3.8% of young Americans suffer from OCD (2-4X more than the medical community's estimate of 1-2%)

⭐️ 57% of OCD respondents received mental health education from online sources, and 66% receive it from healthcare professionals

ABOUT MADE OF MILLIONS

Made of Millions Foundation is a global advocacy nonprofit on a mission to change how the world perceives mental health. The organization uses art, media and technology to democratize mental health education, combat stigma, and inspire grassroots change.

ABOUT CULTURE CO-OP

Culture Co-op, the research partner for this study, is a boutique trends and insights agency specializing in generational insights, ethnographic research, and quantitative studies.