SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder encompasses a broad range of symptoms that represent multiple psychological domains, including perc eption, cognition, emotion, social relatedness, and diverse motor beha viors. The purpose of these analyses was to evaluate the correlational relationships of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Metho d: This study examined the 13 a priori categories used to group types of obsessions and compulsions in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive S cale symptom checklist in two Independent groups of patients with obse ssive-compulsive disorder (N=208 and N=98). A principal-components fac tor analysis with a varimax rotation was performed followed by a serie s of other exploratory analyses. Results: The two data sets yielded ne arly identical results. Four factors-obsessions and checking, symmetry and ordering, cleanliness and washing and hoarding-emerged in each da ta set, in total accounting for more than 60% of the variance. Conclus ions: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a multidimensional and etiologi cally heterogeneous condition. The four symptom dimensions identified in this study are largely congruent with those identified in earlier r eports. These factors may be of value in future genetic, neurobiologic al, and treatment response studies.