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Screening for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
If you suspect that you might suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, answer the questions below, print out the results and share them with your health care professional.
Are you troubled by the following?
| Yes No | Do you have unwanted ideas, images, or impulses that seem silly, nasty, or horrible? |
| Yes No | Do you worry excessively about dirt, germs, or chemicals? |
| Yes No | Are you constantly worried that something bad will happen because you forgot something important, like locking the door or turning off appliances? |
| Yes No | Do you experience shortness of breath? |
| Yes No | Are you afraid you will act or speak aggressively when you really don't want to? |
| Yes No | Are you always afraid you will lose something of importance? |
| Yes No | Are there things you feel you must do excessively or thoughts you must think repeatedly to feel comfortable or ease anxiety? |
| Yes No | Do you ever experience “jelly” legs? |
| Yes No | Trouble falling or staying asleep, or restless and unsatisfying sleep |
| Yes No | Do you wash yourself or things around you excessively? |
| Yes No | Do you have to check things over and over or repeat actions many times to be sure they are done properly? |
| Yes No | Do you avoid situations or people you worry about hurting by aggressive words or actions? |
| Yes No | Do you keep many useless things because you feel that you can’t throw them away? |
Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Depression and substance abuse are among the conditions that occasionally complicate obsessive-compulsive disorder.
| Yes No | Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits? |
More days than not, do you feel...
| Yes No | sad or depressed |
| Yes No | disinterested in life |
| Yes No | worthless or guilty |
During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs...
| Yes No | resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family? |
| Yes No | placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence? |
| Yes No | gotten you arrested? |
| Yes No | continued despite causing problems for you or your loved ones? |
References:
Goodman, WK, Price LH, et al. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS): Part 1. Development, use and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 46:1006-1011 (1989). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), American Psychiatric Association, 1994, Washington, D.C.
