Assessing Core Affective Dimensions in OCD: Development and Validation of the Obsessive-Compulsive Core Dimensions...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves obsessions and compulsions linked to guilt, disgust, and not just right experiences (NJREs).
• Previous research often analyzed these affective dimensions separately, neglecting their interactions.
• A validated scale is needed to simultaneously assess these core dimensions driving OCD symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Obsessive-Compulsive Core Dimensions Scale (OC-CDS).
• To simultaneously assess guilt avoidance, disgust avoidance, and NJRE avoidance in individuals with OCD.
• To provide a tool for a more comprehensive understanding of OCD's affective motivations.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted on Italian non-clinical samples.
• Scale development involved item refinement, resulting in an 18-item measure.
• Factorial validity was confirmed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Main Results:

• The OC-CDS demonstrated a robust three-factor structure with excellent fit indices.
• The scale exhibited good reliability, temporal stability, construct validity, and predictive validity.
• The findings support the scale's psychometric robustness in assessing OCD's core affective dimensions.

Conclusions:

• The OC-CDS is a psychometrically sound self-report measure for assessing guilt, disgust, and NJRE avoidance in OCD.
• The scale facilitates a more comprehensive evaluation of OCD's underlying affective motivations.
• Findings suggest clinical utility for personalized OCD interventions based on predominant emotional drivers.