Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
Volume 18, October 2020, Pages 287-293
Authors
Chad T. Wetterneck, Caitlin M. Pinciotti, Lindsey Knott, Kim Kinnear, Eric A. Storch
Abstract
Most individuals with OCD report experiencing impairment in functioning, which may limit individuals' engagement in valued behaviors, leading to worsened life satisfaction and sustained impairment in avoided domains of functioning. OCD-related impairment in intimacy, specifically, has been understudied despite evidence suggesting long-lasting impairment even with improvements in OCD symptoms through treatment. At present, no tools measure levels of OCD-related functional impairment in psychosocial domains for adults with OCD. Such a tool might benefit clinicians/researchers in guiding treatment and monitoring change, would provide more information about the ways in which intimacy is impacted by OCD, and could assist in identifying specific functional deficits when used in conjunction with a measure of valued living to pinpoint areas of function that patients would like to improve through treatment. The 48-item Adult OCD Impact Scale (AOIS) was developed to assess individuals’ experience with difficulty completing activities in four different psychosocial areas: work/school problems, home/family problems, close/intimate relationships, and social problems. AOIS item structure was established and basic psychometric properties were evaluated from 153 participants recruited from OCD-related websites (e.g., International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation [IOCDF]) with a self-reported diagnosis of OCD. Respondents completed a battery of self-report measures. Reliability and convergent validity were demonstrated with existing severity and psychosocial measures, including measures of valued living and psychological inflexibility. Of the four domains of functioning, work was found to be most impaired by OCD. Implication of findings, future directions, and limitations are discussed.