Research consistently finds that OC symptoms distill into the following theme-based dimensions: A second aim of the DOCS was to address important drawbacks of widely used measures of OCD (such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [YBOCS], Obsessive Compulsive Inventory [OCI and OCI-R][7] and Padua Inventory [PI and PI-R][8]).
DOCS items were worded based on the research-supported idea that obsessions and compulsions are universal experiences, occurring in clinical and nonclinical individuals on a continuum of severity.
[1] Each of the four DOCS subscales begins with a general description and broad inclusive examples of the obsessions and compulsions within the particular symptom dimension.
Scores on the DOCS displayed excellent performance on indices of reliability (test-retest, internal consistency) and validity (convergent, divergent, construct), and the measure appears to be sensitive to treatment.
The DOCS is also diagnostically sensitive and thus holds promise as a useful measure of OCD symptoms in clinical and research settings.
[1] The factor structure and psychometric properties of the DOCS have been examined in numerous studies in different cultures and languages,[2][3][4][5][15] and via different methods of administration.
The scale may be used in paper and pencil form, or made available electronically, with the restrictions that: (a) the items and instructions are not modified, (b) it is not used or sold for profit (permission from Dr. Abramowitz is required to use the DOCS for profit), (c) it is used in unfunded research or clinical assessment in health care settings (permission from Dr. Abramowitz is required to use the DOCS in any industry sponsored clinical study), and (d) the DOCS is cited in research papers as follows:Abramowitz, J. S.; Deacon, B.; Olatunji, B.; Wheaton, M. G.; Berman, N.; Losardo, D.; Timpano, K.; McGrath, P.; Riemann, B.; Adams, T.; Bjorgvinsson, T.; Storch, E. A.; Hale, L. (2010).
S2CID 7206349.The DOCS is now available in the following languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian, French, Icelandic, Swedish, German, Norwegian, Bengali, Dutch, Turkish, and Portuguese.