About OCD
OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) involves intrusive thoughts that cause distress and repetitive behaviours or mental rituals to reduce it. Cognitive-behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention is the first-line psychological treatment.
Psychologists assess and treat emotional, behavioural and relationship difficulties through psychological therapy. They do not prescribe medication. In many countries clinical practice requires a specific qualification and registration with a licensing body, which Therapy247 checks.
Getting mental health care in Burkina Faso
Public health system · Public health system - psychiatry services at CHU Yalgado Ouédraogo (Ouagadougou) and CHU Souro Sanou (Bobo-Dioulasso)
Specialist psychiatric care is concentrated in the university hospitals of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso; about 42 public facilities, mostly district medical centres staffed by psychiatric nurses, offer some mental health care. The public sector has only around nine to eleven psychiatrists and a handful of psychologists. Care is not free: the official public tariff for a consultation with a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist is 2,000 FCFA, and patients also pay for medicines and hospital stays.
How to check that a professional is licensed
- Ordre National des Médecins du Burkina Faso. Under Law No. 028-2012/AN the Order groups all doctors authorised to practise in Burkina Faso, and health facilities require registration on its roll. Ask for the doctor's registration number.
Insurance and coverage
Universal health insurance (RAMU) began operating in 2023 but covers only a small share of the population; outpatient and inpatient mental health care is generally paid by the patient or family.
Urgent help in Burkina Faso
If your life or someone else's is in danger, call the emergency number now. These services can help at any time:
- 17 · Police secours
Information reviewed in November 2026 · Sources: fluechtlingshilfe.ch, apps.who.int, ordremedecinsburkina.bf, extranet.who.int
Signs to look out for
Many people have occasional intrusive thoughts or like things a certain way. OCD may be involved when unwanted thoughts, images or urges cause intense distress, and you feel driven to perform rituals, such as checking, washing, counting, seeking reassurance or mentally neutralising, to reduce the anxiety. These rituals take a lot of time, feel hard to resist and interfere with daily life.
What helps: treatments and professionals
Cognitive-behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the psychological treatment with the strongest evidence for OCD. It involves gradually facing feared thoughts or situations without performing rituals, at a pace agreed with the therapist. Clinical psychologists and psychologists trained in ERP usually lead treatment. A psychiatrist can assess whether medication may help, particularly when symptoms are severe.
When to seek urgent help
Having an intrusive thought about harm does not mean you want to act on it; this is common in OCD. However, if you feel hopeless, have thoughts of ending your life, or rituals prevent you from eating, drinking or caring for yourself, contact your local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department. Sudden onset of OCD symptoms in a child should be checked by a doctor.
What you can do in the meantime
Learn from reliable sources how OCD works: trying to push thoughts away or seeking reassurance usually makes them stronger. Try to delay a ritual by a few minutes, or shorten it slightly, and notice that anxiety tends to fall on its own. Ask family members to support you without joining in rituals. Look after sleep and stress, which can intensify symptoms.
What does a psychologist do?
A psychologist spends most of the working day talking with people about what worries them and helping them change it. That includes assessing the difficulty, agreeing goals, and using structured psychological techniques in sessions with adults, teenagers, children, couples or families. Between sessions they prepare materials, write notes, and sometimes coordinate with doctors, schools or other professionals, always with your consent.
When to see a psychologist
It makes sense to see a psychologist when anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship problems, a loss or a difficult change start to affect your sleep, work or relationships, or when you simply want to understand yourself better. If symptoms are very severe, you may need medication, or there are signs of a medical cause, a psychiatrist or your doctor should be involved too.
How to choose
When choosing, check the licence and training, the approach they use and whether they have experience with what you need. Consider practical aspects too: language, price, location or online sessions and availability. The relationship with the professional matters a great deal; if after a few sessions it does not feel right, it is fine to change.
Frequently asked questions
Does the public health system in Burkina Faso cover psychological care?
Specialist psychiatric care is concentrated in the university hospitals of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso; about 42 public facilities, mostly district medical centres staffed by psychiatric nurses, offer some mental health care. The public sector has only around nine to eleven psychiatrists and a handful of psychologists. Care is not free: the official public tariff for a consultation with a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist is 2,000 FCFA, and patients also pay for medicines and hospital stays.
How do I check that a psychologist is licensed in Burkina Faso?
Ordre National des Médecins du Burkina Faso: Under Law No. 028-2012/AN the Order groups all doctors authorised to practise in Burkina Faso, and health facilities require registration on its roll. Ask for the doctor's registration number.