This category applies to presentations in which symptoms characteristic of an obsessive-
compulsive and related disorder that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in
social, occupational, or other important ar eas of functioning predominate but do not meet
the full criteria for any of the disorders in the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
diagnostic class. The unspecified obsessive-co mpulsive and related disorder category is
used in situations in which the clinician chooses not to specify the reason that the criteria
are not met for a specific obsessive-compul sive and related disorder, and includes presen-
tations in which there is insufficient information to make a more specific diagnosis (e.g., in
emergency room settings).