Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in A Non-clinical Population

Measuring, diagnosing, and determining the severity of the symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is essential for studying mental health issues. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) in a non-clinical population. 

In this cross-sectional study, 252 residents of Tehran (Iran) were selected by cluster sampling method from different districts. They were asked to complete DOCS, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). SPSS v. 21 and LISREL statistical software were used for data analysis. Cronbach's alpha, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and Spearman correlation were also used.

The Internal consistency of DOCS was 91.7 based on the Cronbach α value. The correlations of DOCS with DY-BOCS and OCI-R were 0.57 and 0.55, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis showed four factors. Confirmatory factor analysis also showed that this four-factor and higher-order factor models had a good fit for the data.

The present study indicated acceptable validity and reliability of DOCS in non-clinical populations in Iran. Therefore, this scale be used to screen people with OCD symptoms in non-clinical centers of mental health assessment.