A Concise Screening Tool for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The OCI-CV-5

Journal of Affective Disorders

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.009

Keywords: Adolescent, Child, Humans, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Reproducibility of Results, Surveys and Questionnaires, OCD, Brief screening measure, Assessment, Pediatric, Adolescents

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Abstract

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is recognized as a chronic and potentially debilitating condition that poses significant challenges within the clinical landscape, particularly for pediatric populations. Traditional assessment methods for OCD typically involve comprehensive diagnostic interviews or lengthy self-report questionnaires, which can render routine screening impractical in general health settings. Consequently, OCD often remains under-diagnosed or misidentified, underscoring the urgent need for efficient and effective screening tools.

To address this gap, a recent study has introduced the Ultra-Brief Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV-5), designed specifically for routine screening of OCD among children and adolescents. The research encompassed a substantial sample size of 489 youth diagnosed with OCD, supplemented by 259 non-clinical controls and 299 youths diagnosed with various other psychiatric disorders. Participants completed the OCI-CV along with other established measures of psychopathology, allowing for a comparative analysis of symptoms across groups.

Through item analysis, the study successfully distilled the OCI-CV into five key items that encapsulate distinct dimensions of OCD: washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, and neutralizing/counting. The resulting OCI-CV-5 demonstrated commendable psychometric properties, with a recommended cutoff score of 2 providing optimal sensitivity and specificity for accurately identifying OCD in pediatric populations.

While the findings are promising, the research is not without limitations. The participant demographic was predominantly White, highlighting a potential lack of generalizability across diverse ethnic backgrounds. Further investigation is necessary to evaluate the OCI-CV-5’s test-retest reliability and its responsiveness to treatment interventions over time.

In conclusion, the OCI-CV-5 emerges as a potentially valuable tool for healthcare professionals, facilitating the identification of OCD in children and adolescents when extensive assessments may not be practical. By implementing this ultra-brief screening measure, clinicians may enhance early detection and intervention strategies, ultimately improving outcomes for affected youth. Continued research will be essential to refine this tool and validate its efficacy across varied populations, marking an important step toward better mental health care in pediatric settings.