Cunning, CatherineCatherineCunningHodes, MatthewMatthewHodes2021-07-022021-07-022022-01-01Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2022, 27 (1), pp.18-341359-1045http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/90041BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world since the first cases were reported in China in January 2020. The secondary mental health impacts of the pandemic are thought to be significant. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition defined by recurrent obsessions and compulsions. It has been hypothesised that the focus on hygiene and contamination during the pandemic could exacerbate obsessive-compulsive symptoms in young people. METHOD: A systematic literature review was conducted. Papers were sought looking at the effect of the pandemic on obsessive-compulsive disorder in young people. RESULTS: Six published cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were identified, of which four studies investigated clinic samples with a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder and two looked at community adolescent populations. Five out of the six studies found that obsessive-compulsive symptoms were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be associated with a worsening of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in young people. Being in treatment seems to have a protective effect. Maintaining mental health services during a pandemic is vital. It is important to be aware of the implications of pandemic on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in young people in order to allow them to access appropriate treatments. More research is needed in this area.© The Author(s) 2021. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Cunning C, Hodes M. The COVID-19 pandemic and obsessive–compulsive disorder in young people: Systematic review. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. June 2021 by Sage Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. It is available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045211028169COVID-19Obsessive–compulsive disorderadolescent healthchild healthobsessive–compulsive symptomspandemicJournal Articlehttps://www.dx.doi.org/10.1177/13591045211028169https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/135910452110281691461-7021