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Until recently, prior estimates of the prevalence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been based on clinical data. The present investigation studied point prevalence and demographic data that pertain to three ritualbased forms of OCD in a sample of the adult general population of the greater St. Louis area. Two hundred fifty male and 247 female subjects were administered a structured interview designed to identify the presence of symptoms associated with OCD according to DSM‐III criteria. The overall prevalence rate of OCD was 2.8%. The most prevalent form of OCD involved checking (1.6%), followed by a miscellaneous category that included repeating, counting and collecting rituals (1.0%) and, finally, washing compulsions (0.8%). Subjects with OCD did not differ demographically from the rest of the sample except that they were more likely to live in the city. Results indicate that OCD is more prevalent than previously supposed and that checking compulsions may be the most common form of ritual in nonclinical samples.

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Data on prevalence of and demographics associated with various symptoms of depression are reported for a sample of the general population. Of the nine symptoms assessed, the most frequently occurring were dysphoric mood (17.8%), increased sleep (15%), and loss of interest in other people or activities previously enjoyed (11.8%). 39% of subjects reported one or more symptoms of depression. 8% of subjects reported wondering if life is worth living, a symptom that in and of itself is suggestive of clinically significant depression. The number of depressive symptoms reported was related to income, education, age, and residence (city versus county), but not to sex. The findings provide evidence that various symptoms of depression may be more common in the general population than previously suspected.

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