Identification of specific correlations in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder among different measures

摘要

Objective: Few studies have investigated the convergent validity of assessment methodologies administered to patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. None of them, however, report a quantitative analysis of the convergent validity across multiple tools dealing with the diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Considering this gap, the aim of this study is to provide useful evidence investigating the correlation among four reporting tools featured by assessment methodologies used with OCD patients. Specifically, it aims at revealing significant correlations between the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision [SCL-90-R], the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory [MMPI-2], the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS] and the Padua Inventory Revised [PI-R] in OCD patients. Method: The administered tests include the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Padua Inventory Revised (PI-R). Subjective symptoms assessment and clinical interviews were performed in combination with the evaluation of these tests in 121 patients with OCD. As control groups, we selected 1) a group of depressed patients (N=23) and 2) a group of patients with anxiety disorders (N=54) that underwent the same clinical interviews. Results and conclusions: Results indicate significant correlations between i) two selected scales of the MMPI-2 – in particular the Psychastenia (PT) and Schizophrenia (SC) scales – and those obtained from the SCL-90-R (i.e. obsessivecompulsive symptoms and psychoticism); ii) between the two scales above and the total score of the Y BOCS; iii) between the PT scale (MMPI-2), the obsessive compulsive symptoms scale (SCL-90-R) and the total score of the PIR; iv) between the total score of Y-BOCS and the total score of PI-R. These results confirmed the strong convergent validity among the selected assessment methodologies and lead to a new and integrative clinical approach to diagnose OCD that is pre-screening of OCD symptomatology through reporting measures.