Screening for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: Validation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - English and German Short Forms

Abstract Introduction Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) are common mental disorders, which – especially without treatment – may take a chronic course. Although they often remain undetected, there is a lack of short and valid screening instruments. With the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Short Form (DOCS-SF) a screening instrument is available in Norwegian. The aims of the current analogue study were to develop and to validate English and German versions of the DOCS-SF. Methods In the online surveys, 304 German and 187 English-speaking students participated. In addition to the DOCS-SF, they answered a battery of established questionnaires on OCD, depression and anxiety. For determining retest reliability, 51 German students participated in another survey. Results Results confirmed the single factor structure of the DOCS-SF and indicated good internal consistency (α = 0.89) as well as retest reliability (r = 0.75). Concerning convergent validity, the DOCS-SF was strongly correlated with other OCD scales. Although correlations with anxiety were strong as well, correlations with measures of depression, health anxiety, disgust, and health-related well-being were significantly weaker. Discussion The DOCS-SF appears to be a short, reliable, and valid screening instrument for OCD. Subsequent studies should further investigate its divergent validity, and its diagnostic accuracy in clinical populations.