Factor Structure and Validation of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) in a Greek Non-Clinical Sample

Development of a scale to assess obsessive-compulsive tendencies among Japanese university students

Obsessive-compulsive (OC) tendencies refer to obsessions and compulsions in a nonclinical group, which are risk factors for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OC tendencies and OC symptoms are mainly assessed using five factors: ordering, obsessions, cleaning, hoarding, and checking. However, since hoarding is now classified as an independent diagnosis in the DSM-V, this factor was not included and was instead replaced by indecisiveness. Furthermore, many established scales used for measuring OC tendencies were originally created for OCD patients; thus, they cannot adequately capture OC tendencies. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a scale to assess OC tendencies among Japanese university students with a revised five-factor structure: ordering, obsessions, cleaning, indecisiveness, and checking. We examined the factor structure, reliability, criterion-related validity, and convergent validity of the OC tendencies scale by administering two surveys. In Survey 1 (N = 216), an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the criterion-related and convergent validity and reliability of the OC tendencies scale. In Survey 2 (N = 202), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. EFA and CFA utilized a five-factor structure comprising checking, ordering, indecisiveness, cleaning, and obsessions. Correlations with other scales indicated that the OC tendencies scale had efficient convergent validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. This study validated the five-factor structure of OC tendency in Japanese university students. However, indecisiveness was also strongly correlated with trait-anxiety. As this scale is easy to administer among large groups, it has the potential to contribute to mental health support for university students by measuring OC tendencies experienced on a daily basis, which have not been adequately measured in the past.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Suicidal Experiences: The Role of Experiential Avoidance

OBJECTIVE

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling mental health problem that affects a significant proportion of the general population. Experiential avoidance appears to account for the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, its relationship with OCD has yielded contradictory results. Furthermore, although OCD-specific thoughts and behaviors, including obsessing, checking, washing, and ordering, have been suggested to significantly predict suicidal ideation and behaviors, this line of research has received scant empirical attention. The overarching aim of this study was to explore the relationship between OCD, OCD-specific behaviors, experiential avoidance, and suicidal experiences.

METHODS

Overall, 1,046 adults from the community who completed self-report scales participated.

RESULTS

Strong links between overall OCD severity, obsessing, experiential avoidance, and suicidal experiences were established. Results from mediational analyses showed that overall OCD severity and individual obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors were both directly and indirectly linked with suicidal experiences, via experiential avoidance. Obsessing was among the critical obsessive-compulsive symptoms leading to suicidal experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are important because they identify experiential avoidance as a potential key explanatory construct in accounting for the development of OCD and suicidal experiences. However, future research using longitudinal and/or experimental designs is needed to infer causality.

A novel tool showing that perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood were linked with mental health problems and suicidal experiences: Validation of the English version of the History of Social Punishment (HoSP) scale

There is robust evidence for relationships between adverse events experienced in childhood and mental health problems experienced as an adult. However, the measurement of perceptions of different types of adverse relationships in childhood, especially those that are in social contexts, is lacking. Given the absence of an appropriate tool to measure perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood within English-speaking populations, we endeavored to examine the construct validity of the English version of the History of Social Punishment (HoSP) scale. In total, 557 adults from the extant community participated by completing self-report scales that measured perceptions of adverse childhood relationships, symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding disorder (HD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and suicidal experiences. Results demonstrated that the HoSP is a sound psychometric tool to evaluate perceptions of adverse social relationships within English-speaking populations. A strong association between perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood, common mental health problems, and suicidal behaviors was established. These results provide robust evidence for the importance of screening for experiences of social adversities and for developing clinical interventions that directly target these experiences.

Personality disorder traits in young adults with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Not just traits related to obsessive- compulsive personality

Research is scarce regarding personality disorder traits of individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cluster analysis based on obsessional, schizotypal, and borderline personality and autism-spectrum features was conducted on the results for 118 students scoring above cutoff on the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised. This identified four groups: O, L, S, and A. One third of the sample was represented by individuals with obsessional traits (O), while another third was composed of individuals with low traits (L); the last two profiles corresponded to a cluster with autistic traits (A) and a group with schizotypal and borderline features (S), both clusters together comprising the remaining third. Significant differences were observed between groups, both on personality traits and on psychopathological symptoms. The S cluster displayed the highest scores of suicidality, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This study identified meaningful profiles of personality disorder traits, distinct from obsessive-compulsive personality, in individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Examining the effects of punishment schedule density on the development and maintenance of avoidance and safety behaviours: Implications for exposure therapies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Engaging in safety behaviors in the absence of actual threat is a key feature of many psychological disorders, including OCD and depression. Failure to discriminate between threatening and safe environments may make these behaviors resistant to change. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the conditions under which avoidance and safety behaviors are developed and maintained.

METHODS

In experiment 1, sixty-seven participants who were initially screened for low obsessive-compulsive behavior were invited to play a computerized game to gain points and avoid their potential loss. In Phase 1, they were exposed to a lean punishment schedule (relatively frequent point losses) and a dense schedule (highly frequent point losses). In Phase 2, they were tested on engagement in safety behaviors, where no punishment had been programmed. In experiment 2, twenty-two new participants were exposed to the lean punishment schedule followed immediately by the no point loss condition (Phase 2), one and two weeks after their initial exposure to the punishment conditions to test for the maintenance of safety behavior over time.

RESULTS

Findings demonstrated that participants developed avoidance immediately, but safety behavior was developed and maintained only for those who were exposed to the lean punishment schedule.

LIMITATIONS

Prolonged exposure to dense punishment schedules may yield different results because the contrast between safe and aversive environments may be less discernible.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are important because they provide experimental evidence on the conditions that render safety behaviors difficult to amend, and offer important recommendations for clinical practice.

The effects of the non-contingent presentation of safety signals on the elimination of safety behaviors: An experimental comparison between individuals with low and high obsessive-compulsive profiles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Safety behaviors, defined as engagement in avoidance within safe environments, are a key symptom of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. They may interfere with daily functioning and as such their emission should be reduced. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effects of the non-contingent presentation of safety signals (cues produced by safety behaviors) on reducing safety behaviors in participants self-reporting low and high OCD profiles.

METHODS

In total, 32 participants were asked to play a game to gain points and avoid their loss. After having developed avoidance behavior, evidenced by maintaining all of their earned points, they were exposed to safe environments where no point loss was programmed. In Test 1, safety cues (blue bar) were produced contingent on performing safety behaviors. In Test 2, safety cues were presented continuously without any response requirement.

RESULTS

Findings demonstrated that high OCD group displayed higher rates of safety behaviors than low OCD group. However, exposure to the non-contingent presentation of safety signals eliminated their emission in both groups.

LIMITATIONS

Future studies need to evaluate the effects of different non-contingent schedules on the suppression of safety behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to the literature by demonstrating that non-contingent introduction of safety signals eliminated safety behaviors completely, even in high OCD participants, who performed safety behavior at higher rates. Such a treatment protocol may ameliorate exposure therapy in which response prevention constitutes a key element and is generally associated with increased drop-out rates.