Validation of The Dimensional Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale for Mexican population

Abstract

The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a self-report instrument that addresses significant limitations of previous obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptom measures by separately assessing the severity of four OC symptom dimensions: contamination, responsibility for harm, unacceptable thoughts, and symmetry. Notably, no research has culturally adapted or validated the DOCS for the Mexican population (DOCS-M), and the current study seeks to bridge that gap. We recruited 457 adults, the majority of whom were college students, to evaluate the factor structure, internal consistency and convergent validity of the DOCS-M. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure. Moreover, excellent internal consistency was obtained for the subscale and total scores. Convergent validity was also supported through strong positive and significant correlations with the OBQ-SV and III-31-M. In sum, study findings suggest that the DOCS-M is a valid instrument for assessing OCD symptom dimensions and severity in a Mexican population.