Life events and onset of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Life events were evaluated for a period of one year prior to onset of obsessive compulsive disorder in 32 subjects with a maximum duration of illness of two years and compared with a matched healthy volunteer group. There was a significant excess of life events in the six months prior to the onset of the illness. Undesirable, uncontrolled life events in the area of health and bereavement occurred more commonly in obsessive compulsive disorder.