The worldwide epidemic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was produced by neoliberalism

From Ireland to Mexico to the USA, the last decades have seen a worldwide increase in people suffering from OCD—a rise that cannot be explained solely by genetics or individual psychology, but rather by the neoliberal restructuring of society.

In some countries, like Ireland, OCD is so bad that there is even organizations like OCD Ireland and there is even international organizations on ODC.

So how has this become the norm, and how come for years there has not been a clear explanation of why the increase in cases of OCD suffers? And why is it that most people get OCD in childhood?

In this article, we do not explore medicine nor neurology, but modern culture as the possible cause.

The erosion of community bonds, the commodification of self-worth, and the relentless pressure to perform, consume, and optimize have transformed anxiety into a systemic condition. What was once considered a personal mental health disorder now reveals itself as a symptom of a deeper societal pathology: the unsustainable demands of late capitalism

Problem Statement

The current economic model has given rise to a new type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that does not respond to traditional treatments or psychotherapy, because its origin lies not in the unconscious, as psychoanalysis posited, nor in brain neurochemistry, as psychiatry suggests, but in the social sphere.

This is a postmodern OCD created by the market economy, characterized by feelings of existential emptiness, dissociation from reality, silent suffering, affective disorders, disconnection from one’s surroundings, and a loss of life meaning. All of this generates a constant need for social approval and material accumulation, leading to a dynamic of compulsive actions, and the eternal search for relief aka OCD

This pathology originates in the last four decades of the neoliberal system, which has promoted individualism, materialism, and the cult of success imagery, displacing collective values such as family, community, and solidarity. This transformation has triggered an internal struggle between who the individual truly is and what they are expected to be, causing cognitive dissonance, emotional stress, and a persistent sense of dissatisfaction.

Hollywood cinema has contributed to this phenomenon by constructing social imaginaries that idealize life, reinforcing the desire for an existence that does not align with everyday reality. The impossibility of achieving this ideal generates frustration, anxiety, identity crises, emotional dependency, toxic attachments, and a desperate search to fill an inner void that no consumer object can satisfy.

In this context, there is a need to reconsider OCD from a sociological perspective—one that takes into account not only the individual and their mental processes but also the social, economic, and cultural structures that influence their mental health. This research proposes an alternative hypothesis about the origin of contemporary OCD, aiming to contribute to the development of a comprehensive, preventive, and contextualized model of this disorder.

Este Articuno está disposable en Español:

LA EPIDEMIA MUNDIAL DE TRASTORNO OBSESIVO-COMPULSIVO (TOC) FUE PRODUCIDA POR EL NEOLIBERALISMO

La epidemia mundial de trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo (toc) fue producida por el neoliberalismo