Objective To explore the role of serotonin(5-HT) in obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD) and the difference in platelet 5-HT content between OCD and healthy controls, the obsession and the compulsion subgroup. Methods The concentration of serotonin (5-HT) in twenty-seven patients with OCD and twenty-seven patients without OCD were detected in the study. Results Platelet serotonin level in patients with OCD ( ( 139 ±172 ) μg/L) was lower than that in patients without OCD ( ( 248 ± 215 ) μg/L), and the differences were significant (P＜0.05). Conclusion The present results support the hypothesis that 5-HT hypofunctionality contribute to OCD. And the differences between the obsession and the compulsion subgroup in the role of 5-HT are significant.