Perinatal / Postpartum OCD Test

Perinatal / Postpartum OCD is a condition in which a woman’s OCD symptoms begin or are exacerbated either during pregnancy or soon after giving birth. As in all cases of OCD, a woman with Perinatal / Postpartum OCD experiences obsessions (repetitive, unwanted thoughts, ideas, or images), and/or performs compulsions (repetitive behaviors) in an effort to avoid or decrease the anxiety created by these obsessions. In women with Perinatal / Postpartum OCD, the focus of the obsessions is often on the fear of purposely or accidentally harming their newborn child.

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers this free and confidential test to help you get a better idea of whether or not you are exhibiting signs of Perinatal / Postpartum OCD. Simply check those items that apply to you, and email the test to us using the simple form below. While this questionnaire is not meant to replace a thorough evaluation, it may help in identifying traits of Perinatal / Postpartum OCD.

1.  I worry excessively about purposely harming my child or others who I care about (i.e. suffocating my child, stabbing my husband.

2.  I frequently worry about accidentally harming my child or others I care about (i.e., accidentally poisoning my child, accidentally exposing my child to potentially dangerous household chemicals).

3.   I excessively worry that I will be indirectly responsible for something bad occurring to my child (i.e., “I must ensure that my child is never exposed to certain things such as immunization shots, rare diseases, dangerous plants, etc., or else he/she could be seriously harmed and I would be responsible”).

4.  I worry excessively that, if I don’t perform certain superstitious behaviors, bad things will occur and it will be my fault (i.e. needing to repeatedly tap on wood or say certain phrases in order to prevent my child from dying.

5.  I prefer to minimize or avoid being alone with my child in order to avoid harming my child, or to avoid having thoughts about harming him/her.

6.  I avoid being around certain objects (i.e., knives, scissors, guns) in order to avoid harming my child, or having thoughts about harming him/her.

7.  I avoid driving with my child in order to ensure that I do not get into an auto accident with him/her.

8.  I have great difficulty feeding my child because I am afraid I may poison or choke him/her.

9.  I often repeat routine, daily activities to ensure that I did not or will not expose my child to harm (i.e., putting away sharp objects, locking the house, turning off the stove.

10.  I often repeat routine behaviors (e.g., getting dressed, turning off light switches, etc.) because I am concerned that I had a “bad” thought about my child when I initially performed that behavior.

11.  I excessively wash, shower, change my clothes, and/or use antibacterial wipes to ensure that I do not expose my child to germs, chemicals, insecticides, or other potentially dangerous things.

12.  I worry a great deal that my child has an illness, disease, or other medical condition, and that he/she will die if I fail to get appropriate treatment.

13.  I worry excessively that I do not really love my child.

14.  I worry that I want to sexually molest my child.

15.  I prefer to minimize or avoid being alone with my child in order to avoid having thoughts of sexually molesting him/her.

16.  I prefer not to bathe my child or change his/her diapers because I am afraid I will sexually molest him/her, or that I will have thoughts about sexually molesting him/her.

17.  I often recite prayers in an effort to rid myself of unwanted sexual thoughts or harming thoughts related to my child.

18.  I repeatedly ask others for reassurance that I have not done something “wrong,” “bad,” harmful, or sexually inappropriate with my child.

19.  I had some OCD prior to my pregnancy, but my obsessions and/or compulsions became significantly more severe either during my pregnancy, or after I gave birth.

20.  I did not have any significant OCD features prior to my pregnancy, but developed obsessions and/or compulsions for the first time either during my pregnancy, or after I gave birth.

21.  I am significantly distressed, anxious, and/or depressed about my obsessions and compulsions.

22.  My obsessions and compulsions are interfering with my ability to care for my child.

23.  My obsessions and compulsions are interfering with my relationships and/or with my academic or professional functioning.

24.  I spend  hours per day having obsessions and/or doing compulsions.

*First name

Last name (optional)

*Valid Email Address
(where test scoring guide will be sent)

*Re-enter Email Address

*City

*State or Province
Select one…AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandPuerto RicoQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukonOther

*Country
Select one…United StatesCanadaAustraliaUnited KingdomAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua And BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia And HerzegowinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The DrcCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’ivoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrance, MetropolitanFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-bissauGuyanaHaitiHeard And Mc Donald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, D.P.R.O.Korea, Republic OfKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia, Federated States OfMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmar (Burma)NamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint Kitts And NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent And The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome And PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia And South S.S.SpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre And MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard And Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad And TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks And Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesU.S. Minor IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis And Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenYugoslavia (Serbia And Montenegro)ZambiaZimbabweOther

Phone (If you wish to be contacted by phone)

  Please click on “Submit” one time only. Thank you.