Jeanine does not like dirt or germs. In fact, she dislikes them so much that she washes her hands 200 to 300 times a day to make sure she does not get "infected." She has even developed a little ritual she performs each time she washes her hands to make sure she gets them thoroughly clean. She is driven to perform this hand-washing ritual after touching anything in her house, or she suffers overwhelming anxiety. Jeanine's behavior is typical of a(n) ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jeanine's behavior is consistent with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterized by the presence of obsessions (persistent and intrusive thoughts, images or impulses that cause distress) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly). In this case, Jeanine's fear of dirt and germs is an obsession, and her hand-washing ritual is a compulsion that she feels compelled to perform to relieve her anxiety.

Jeanine Does Not Like Dirt or Germs