Symptom categories of obsessive-compulsive disorder - specific or generalized? A comparison of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (VOCI)

Background: Most diagnostic instruments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or rather of the symptom assess severity rather than generalization categories obsessions and compulsions. Objective: Are symptom categories dependent on specific situation or are they generalized? Method: A total of 142 patients with OCD and 21 healthy volunteers completed the VOCI (assessing symptoms in a number of situations) and the subscales of the Y-BOCS (assessing the severity of obsessions and compulsions). Groups were compared with regard to the questionnaires, and a factor analysis of the VOCI was carried out. Factor scores were correlated with the Y-BOCS. Results: There were significant differences between the groups with regard to the two questionnaires. The German version of the VOCI showed the same 6-factor solution as the original. Y-BOCS subscales were only moderately correlated with the respective VOCI factors. Among high Y-BOCS scorers, there were patients with high (generalized) and low (specific) VOCI factor scores. Conclusion: There appear to be individual differences between OCD patients regarding the generalization of symptom categories.