Measures Of Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms Research Articles

Obsessive compulsive symptom dimensions are linked to altered white-matter microstructure in a community sample of youth

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) are common in school-aged children and predict the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). White-matter abnormalities have been described in OCD, but the white matter correlates of OCS in the developing brain are unclear. Some correlates of OCS (or a diagnosis of OCD) may reflect correlates of a transdiagnostic or even general psychopathology factor. We examined these questions in a large sample of typically developing youth (N = 1208), using a hierarchical analysis of fixel-based white matter measures in relation to OCS and general psychopathology. General psychopathology was associated with abnormalities in the posterior corpus callosum and forceps major in an age-dependent manner, suggesting altered maturation (specifically, hypermaturation in younger subjects). A unidimensional measure of OCS did not associate with any white-matter abnormalities, but analysis of separate OCS dimensions (derived from factor analysis within this sample) revealed the ‘Bad Thoughts’ dimension to associate with white-matter abnormalities in dorsal parietal white-matter and descending corticospinal tracts, and the ‘Symmetry’ dimension to associate with abnormalities in the anterior corpus callosum. Repetition/checking and Symmetry OCS were additionally associated with posterior abnormalities overlapping with the correlates of general psychopathology. Contamination symptoms had no white-matter correlates. Secondary analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) revealed distinct white-matter abnormalities, suggesting that fixel-based and FA analyses identify distinct features of white matter relevant to psychopathology. These findings suggest that OCS dimensions correlate with dissociable abnormalities in white matter, implicating separable networks. Future studies should examine these white-matter signatures in a longitudinal framework.

Experiential avoidance and the misinterpretation of intrusions as prospective predictors of postpartum obsessive-compulsive symptoms in first-time parents

It is well established that the transition to new parenthood is associated with the onset or worsening of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS); however, less is known regarding specific risk factors associated with the development of postpartum OCS. The present prospective study examined experiential avoidance and interpretations of intrusive thoughts as predictors of the development of postpartum OCS in first-time mothers and fathers. Participants were 64 expecting parents (33 mothers and 31 partners—all fathers) who were followed from the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy into the postpartum. All completed measures of postpartum OCS, experiential avoidance, and interpretations of intrusive thoughts. Experiential avoidance and the pre-existing tendency to misinterpret intrusive thoughts were predictors of infant-related OCS in the early postpartum, but not at six months postpartum. These findings provide support for particular psychological risk factors in the development of infant-related OCS among first-time mothers and fathers. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Insomnia and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: The mediating role of anxiety and depression

BackgroundResearch supports a relationship between insomnia and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). However, given gaps in the literature, there is a need to further examine this relationship. Specifically, the present study investigated whether there are unique associations between insomnia and specific OCS dimensions (e.g., contamination, symmetry) above and beyond any relationships with anxiety or depression. We also examined potential mediation pathways for understanding the links between insomnia, anxiety, depression, and OCS dimensions. MethodsA large sample of university students (N = 253) completed measures of insomnia, OCS, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. ResultsThe main findings indicated that insomnia severity was associated with all OCS dimensions, and most strongly with unacceptable obsessive thoughts. Regression analyses revealed that anxiety, depression, and stress fully accounted for the relationship between insomnia and OCS. Mediational analyses, however, indicated that anxiety, depression, and stress differentially explained the relationship between insomnia and specific OCS dimensions. ConclusionsOverall, our findings suggest that co-occurring symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression) may be worthwhile to examine in future research to extend our understanding of the mechanisms through which chronic sleep deprivation exerts deleterious effects on OCS. Extending findings to clinical populations and treatment contexts may have important implications for our understanding of the links between insomnia and OCS.

The neural correlates of thought-action fusion in healthy adults: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Thought-action fusion (TAF) represents an individual's belief that a thought is like action. Inflated TAF has been considered a central mechanism for developing obsessive thoughts. However, the neural mechanisms underlying TAF are yet unknown. We recruited 32 healthy men to participate in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Whereas inside the 3T MRI scanner, participants were asked to read negative statements describing the expectation of bad events associated with close persons (CPs condition) or neutral persons (NPs condition). They also completed the assessment of TAF and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Both CP and NP conditions commonly activated the lingual gyrus, caudate nucleus, precuneus, and several areas of the frontal cortex. Importantly, many of these regions were positively correlated with measures of OC symptoms, especially for the CP condition. The CP condition showed higher activation in the insula and temporal gyrus than the NP condition. In contrast, the NP condition evoked higher activation in regions associated with mentalizing, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex than the CP condition. We introduced and validated a TAF-induction paradigm suitable for fMRI studies and characterized the neural circuits engaged during this paradigm. Further studies using this task may help us to better understand how dysfunctions in TAF neural processing may contribute to psychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Short Versus Long Scales in Clinical Assessment: Exploring the Trade-Off Between Resources Saved and Psychometric Quality Lost Using Two Measures of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms.

Short measures of psychological constructs are routinely used to save assessment time and cost. The downside is a trade-off between resource savings and psychometric quality. When evaluating tests, a pragmatic strategy is frequently applied that neglects the assessment objective, which may result in unfair rejection or unmindfully acceptance of short scales. Our main aim is to demonstrate the consequences of applying a pragmatic test evaluation strategy. We used two tests that measure the same construct-obsessive-compulsive symptomatology-but differ considerably in test length (1:3) and evaluated the measures by taking the assessment objective into account. The two scale scores showed distinct profiles of psychometric qualities. Whereas routinely evaluated reliability, factorial validity, and convergent/discriminant validity did not differ, rendering both tests useful for research purposes, substantial differences were found for qualities that are rarely focused on-measurement precision and diagnostic validity-which are highly relevant for accurate decisions in clinical practice.

Development and Preliminary Psychometric Properties of an Instrument for the Measurement of Obsessional Dissociative Experiences: The Van Obsessional Dissociation Questionnaire (VOD-Q).

A growing body of research evidence documents the substantial associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and dissociation. This article describes the development and preliminary psychometric properties of the Van Obsessional Dissociation Questionnaire (VOD-Q). Obsessional dissociation is defined as a tendency to dissociate in reaction to distressing, unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images and impulses. The screening tool is conceptualized to tap obsessional dissociation across three dimensions: obsessional absorption, obsessional depersonalization/ derealization and obsessional amnesia. The VOD-Q, the Padua Inventory-Revised (PI-R), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Obsessive Belief Questionnaire (OBQ-44) were administered in this study. The results showed that the VOD-Q had excellent test-retest reliability (ranging from 0.73 to 0.90) and internal consistency (ranging from 0.90 to 0.97). The VOD-Q total and subscale scores were significantly associated with measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative experiences. OCD patients scored significantly higher on the VOD-Q than community participants. Based on the present findings, the VOD-Q appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of obsessional dissociative experiences.

The associations between childhood trauma, neuroticism and comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with psychotic disorders

Various studies reported remarkably high prevalence rates of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in patients with a psychotic disorder. Little is known about the pathogenesis of this co-occurrence. The current study aimed to investigate the contribution of shared underlying risk factors, such as childhood trauma and neuroticism, to the onset and course of OCS in patients with psychosis. Data were retrieved from 161 patients with psychosis included in the ‘Genetic Risk and Outcome in Psychosis’ project. Patients completed measures of OCS and psychotic symptoms at study entrance and three years later. Additionally, childhood maltreatment and neuroticism were assessed. Between-group comparisons revealed increased neuroticism and positive symptoms in patients who reported comorbid OCS compared to OCS-free patients. Subsequent mediation analyses suggested a small effect of childhood abuse on comorbid OCS severity at baseline, which was mediated by positive symptom severity. Additionally, results showed a mediating effect of neuroticism as well as a moderating effect of positive symptoms on the course of OCS severity over time. OCS severity in patients with psychosis might thus be associated with common vulnerability factors, such as childhood abuse and neuroticism. Furthermore, the severity of positive symptoms might be associated with more severe or persistent comorbid OCS.

The role of metacognitive beliefs about thoughts and rituals: A test of the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a clinical sample

The metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; Wells, 1997) emphasises the role of metacognitive beliefs about both thoughts and rituals. The current study tested hypotheses that emerge from the model concerning three domains of these metacognitive beliefs: though fusion beliefs, beliefs about rituals, and stop signals, in an OCD sample (N =210). Results showed that each type of metacognitive belief significantly and positively correlated with two different measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Additionally, in hierarchical regressions, with worry, and non-metacognitive beliefs linked to OCD in other theories controlled, each of the metacognitive domains, when entered in their hypothesised order of activation, incrementally predicted each obsessive-compulsive symptom measure. Results provide further support for the role of these three metacognitive belief domains as hypothesised in the metacognitive model.

Initial data on a 5-item measure of OCD symptom severity and change: The obsessive compulsive session change index (OCSCI)

Repeated measurement of symptoms throughout treatment allows providers to assess individual patterns of symptom change. However, outside of a clinical trial, administration of lengthy measures at each session is unlikely. Therefore, in order to bridge the gap between clinical research and actual clinical practice we developed a brief self-report measure of obsessive compulsive symptoms that can be used at each session, the Obsessive Compulsive Session Change Index (OCSCI). The OCSCI assesses time spent on obsessions, time spent on compulsions, interference and distress related to obsessions and compulsions, and relative change in symptoms from the beginning of treatment. This paper reports initial psychometric properties of the OCSCI. Twenty-seven adults receiving exposure and ritual prevention for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) completed the OCSCI at each session. Results showed that the OCSCI had good internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity. Specifically, the OCSCI had moderate to strong correlations with both self-reported and clinician rated OCD. Finally, the OCSCI was not as strongly correlated with depressive symptoms as it was with OCD symptoms. The findings presented herein suggest that the OCSCI can be useful as a measure of client progress throughout treatment.

Exploring the Association Between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Loneliness: Consideration of Specificity and Gender.

Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, is associated with a range of adverse physical and emotional outcomes. In particular, feeling lonely has been linked with anxiety, anger, stress, and depressive symptoms. Although loneliness has been extensively investigated with respect to depression and social anxiety, few studies have considered the relationship between loneliness and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Loneliness may be particularly relevant to OCS given the social stigma associated with obsessions and compulsions along with high comorbidity between OCS and depression. The overarching aim of this investigation was to examine the relationship between OCS and loneliness in a young adult sample (N = 395) recruited from a large university. Participants completed self-report measures of OCS, loneliness, depression, and social anxiety. Higher levels of OCS were associated with greater perceived loneliness, and this relationship remained significant despite controlling for depression and social anxiety. OCS had a significant association with the isolation facet of loneliness, and loneliness in turn was uniquely associated with obsessions and checking symptoms. Gender differences were examined, which indicated that females with high OCS endorsed the greatest levels of loneliness. Implications for clinical research and treatment are discussed.

P-815 - Psychometric properties and factor structure of the portuguese version of the maudsley obsessional-compulsive inventory

Introduction The Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI; Hodgson & Rachman, 1977) continues to be a widely used self-report measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It has been translated into at least seven languages and the respective validations have resulted in good psychometric characteristics. It has not been validated to the Portuguese population yet. Objectives To investigate the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the MOCI Portuguese version. Methods The process of translation/re-translation followed the required steps. The MOCI was administered to a community sample of 217 first year university students (178 girls; 82.0%). The mean age was 18.50 (± 2.345: range: 17–35). To study the temporal stability 166 (135 girls; 81.3%) respondents answered the questionnaires again after approximately six weeks. Results The MOCI Cronbach's a was good (.79). The test-retest coefficient for the total score was high (.79; p Doubting and Rumination ” (VE = 15.43%; a = .72); F2 “ Checking ” (VE = 7.65%; a = .66) and F3 “ Cleaning ” (VE = 6.08%; a = .63). Temporal stability of F1, F2 and F3 were high: .67, .65 and .73 (all p Conclusions The MOCI Portuguese version has good psychometric properties and its factorial structure is in accordance with those reported by other groups. It could be very useful to clinical and epidemiological purposes, as well as to transcultural studies.

Test Review: CMOCS: Children’s Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

Test Review: CMOCS: Children’s Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

The treatment of magical ideation in two individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder

AbstractData collected from clinical populations indicate that magical ideation (MI) may play a causal or a mediating role in the expression of obsessive compulsive symptoms. If this is the case then when targeted in treatment, symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) should be altered. Two individuals diagnosed with OCD received a trial treatment targeting magical thinking. The intervention consisted of a series of procedures designed to undermine superstitious/MI without targeting obsessions or compulsions. The procedures involved critical analysis of the following material: (1) a free astrology offer; (2) a horoscope prediction exercise; (3) a description of four different cultural explanations of the origin of fire; (4) an instructive guide for Tarot card readers; (5) a report of a UFO sighting; (6) a video-clip describing a cult festival; (7) a description of a ‘hoax’ channeler and (8) a superstition exercise. Measures of obsessive compulsive symptoms, superstition, MI and thought–action fusion were administered pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 3 months’ follow-up. According to the twofold criterion of Jacobson et al. (Behaviour Therapy 1984, 15, 336–352), following treatment the patients were identified as being recovered on measures of magical and superstitious thinking and on the Padua Inventory.

Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: Development and evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.

Although several measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms exist, most are limited in that they are not consistent with the most recent empirical findings on the nature and dimensional structure of obsessions and compulsions. In the present research, the authors developed and evaluated a measure called the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) to address limitations of existing OC symptom measures. The DOCS is a 20-item measure that assesses the four dimensions of OC symptoms most reliably replicated in previous structural research. Factorial validity of the DOCS was supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of 3 samples, including individuals with OC disorder, those with other anxiety disorders, and nonclinical individuals. Scores on the DOCS displayed good performance on indices of reliability and validity, as well as sensitivity to treatment and diagnostic sensitivity, and hold promise as a measure of OC symptoms in clinical and research settings.

Associations of Executive Function With Concurrent and Prospective Reports of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) have been widely observed in schizophrenia and linked with concurrent deficits in executive function. Less clear though is whether OCS are prospectively linked with executive function independent of anxiety level. To explore these issues, OCS, state anxiety, and executive function were assessed among 41 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Measures of OCS and anxiety were then readministered 6 months later. Correlations revealed that a factor score derived from baseline measures of the inhibition domain of executive function was linked to both concurrent and future assessments of OCS even when state anxiety was controlled.

An empirical test of the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Fusion beliefs, beliefs about rituals, and stop signals

The metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: a practice manual and conceptual guide. Chichester, UK: Wiley] emphasizes three types of metacognitive knowledge in the etiology and maintenance of symptoms: thought fusion beliefs, beliefs about the need to perform rituals, and criteria that signal rituals can be stopped. We tested the model using a series of hierarchical regression analyses. Results showed that each metacognitive domain when entered in their hypothesized causal sequence explained incremental variance in two different measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, with worry controlled. These incremental relationships remained when non-metacognitive beliefs (e.g., responsibility and perfectionism) which have been linked to obsessive-compulsive symptoms in other theories were controlled. Results provide further support for the metacognitive model.

The Italian version of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory: Its psychometric properties on community and clinical samples

The aim of the study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (OCI) on Italian community and clinical samples. The Italian version of the 42-item OCI was administered to a sample of 340 individuals belonging to the general population and to 88 patients with obsessive compulsive (OCD) or other anxiety disorders. Four different internal structures of the OCI were compared through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA): the figures for the model with six factors and 18 items (OCI-R) met the best criteria for adequacy of fit. The six scales showed on average a 10% of common variance in the community sample and 8% in the clinical sample. The OCI-R subscales showed good internal consistency and temporal stability, with the exception of washing and mental neutralizing subscales which showed a strong alpha coefficient only in the OCD sample. Psychometric data for the OCI-R were insensitive to age and sex, whereas an effect of education was found. Concurrent validity was demonstrated, since the OCI-R subscales showed a pattern of specific correlations with another conceptually related self-report measure. Moreover, although the OCI-R was positively correlated with measures of depression, anxiety, and worry, the correlations were weaker than those with the other measure of OCD symptoms. The OCI-R clearly differentiated OCD patients from non-OCD anxious patients and nonclinical controls with the exception of hoarding subscale. However, the hoarding scale discriminated OCD patients who presented hoarding symptoms from OCD counterparts without such symptoms. Thus, the OCI-R proved to be a reliable and valid measure of obsessive compulsive symptoms in the Italian context.

Hairpulling and Skin Picking in Relation to Affective Distress and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

The current study examined the frequency and associated distress of both hairpulling and skin picking behaviors in 1,324 college students using the Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale (MGHHS) and Skin Picking Scale (SPS). In this sample, many participants reported significant distress secondary to both hairpulling and skin picking. Participants who endorsed relatively frequent hairpulling or skin picking (N = 72) were scheduled for a follow-up testing session to further assess the relationship between these behaviors and measures of affective distress. Compared to a control sample, the follow-up sample endorsed significantly more symptoms of anxiety and stress reactivity, and had higher scores on a measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Liste des Pensées Obsédantes (LPO) en version islandaise : étude des propriétés psychométriques avec une analyse factorielle confirmatoire

The Obsessive Thoughts Checklist (OTC) differs from several other measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in its focus on obsessive thoughts instead of compulsive behaviour. The OTC has been used in several studies in France and abroad and support for the discriminant and convergent validity of the instrument has been gathered. The authors of the OTC recently reported 3 underlying factors in this instrument: a perfectionism/verification factor, a contamination factor and a responsibility factor. In an earlier study of the OTC a 2 factor solution was however suggested. It therefore seems important to further elucidate the factorial structure of this instrument using confirmatory factor analysis. In this study data on the Icelandic translation of the OTC from three samples of Icelandic college students were submitted first to an exploratory and then to a confirmatory factor analysis. The total number of subjects was 614 college students, 254 men and 360 women with a mean age of 24.4 (sd = 5.0). The results of the exploratory factor analysis (PCA) submitted to a varimax rotation are presented in table I. The 3 expected factors were reproduced with few cross-loadings. In the confirmatory factor analysis the fit of three models to the data were evaluated: a 1 factor model, the 2 factor model of Bouvard et al. and the 3 factor model of Bouvard et al.. An initial examination of the data led to logarithmic transformation of 18 items to reduce skewness in their distributions. The data was subsequently subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis to compare the three-factor model with the two-factor and one-factor models for the OTC. The factors for the three- and two-factor models were allowed to correlate freely. The data were analysed using the EQS procedure, and the models tested were covariance structure models. Table II presents the goodness of fit indices for all three models. The results show that none of the three models provide an overall appropriate fit for the data. However, the fit indices for the three-factor model were considerably higher than found for the two or one factor models and the RMSEA index for the three-factor model suggested an acceptable fit for that model. Although the three-factor model suggests the best fit of all three models, the fit indices were still unacceptably low. Further examination of the data revealed a pattern of standardized residuals suggesting that this might in part be attributable to three items from the responsibility factor (items 26, 19 and 15) not being well specified within the model. When the residuals for these items were allowed to correlate, the fit of the model was substantially improved (CFI = 0.85; GFI = 0.87; AGFI = 0.85; RMSEA = 0.062). This indicates that a revision of the responsibility scale might be appropriate. Table III provides the means, standard deviations and the alpha coefficients for the 3 subscales of the OTC as well as for the total scale. In one subsample of the study (sample 1, n = 169) the OTC was administered together with the Padua Inventory-Washington State Revision (PI-WSUR) measuring obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and the Community Epidemiological Scale-Depression (CES-D) measuring depression. In order to investigate the convergent validity and divergent of the OTC its correlation with the PI-WSUR was compared with its correlations with PSWQ and CES-D. These correlations shown in table IV support the convergent and divergent validity of the OTC. In another subsample of the study (sample 2, n = 296) the OTC was administered together with the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). For samples 1 and 2, zero order and partial correlations were calculated between the subscales of the OTC and the subscales of the other instruments. As shown in table V the strongest correlations between the checking/perfectionism and the contamination subscales of the OTC were with corresponding subscales of the PI-WSUR and the MOCI. It is concluded that the factorial, the convergent and the divergent validities of the Icelandic translation of the OTC are supported in a student population even though the somewhat suboptimal fit of the three-factor model may indicate that a revision of the responsibility factor might be in order. This should however be further studied in a clinical population.

A study of the psychometric properties of the Obsessive Beliefs Inventory and Interpretations of Intrusions Inventory on clinical Italian individuals

Forty-three individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 17 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and 50 non-clinical controls (SC), completed the Italian versions of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) and the Interpretations of Intrusions Inventory (III), along with measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, depression, anxiety and worry. OBQ and III showed an excellent reliability and temporal stability. The six OBQ subscales were reasonably distinct from each other, whereas the three subscales of the III were highly interrelated. The OBQ, and in less measure the III, discriminated between OCD, GAD, and normal controls. In the OCD cohort, the two instruments correlated moderately with a measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also with a measure of worry. However, a linear regression analysis evidenced a specific relationship between the OBQ and obsessive-compulsive symptoms over and above worry. Overall, at least three cognitive domains (intolerance of uncertainty, excessive concern about the importance of controlling one’s thoughts and perfectionism) seemed specific to OCD, whereas overimportance of thoughts and inflated responsibility barely discriminate clinically anxious individuals from non-clinical ones. It is concluded that OBQ and III are useful measures in Italian individuals and that more research is warranted to possibly refine these two instruments.