Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (VOCI)

It has 55 questions rated on a five point Likert-type scale. It is useful in tracking the underlying cognitive structure of OCD and assessing symptoms over time. This scale is a more up to date revision of the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory-Revised (MOCI-R).

Results consist of a total raw score which is between 0 and 220, and 6 subscale scores:

1. Contamination (12 items; Items 3, 8, 13, 15, 21, 23, 25, 32, 39, 44, 49, and 50; scores range from 0 to 48): This subscale evaluates obsessions and compulsions associated with fears of contamination or uncleanliness. Individuals scoring high in this subscale may encounter intrusive thoughts or mental images regarding contamination, leading to compulsive cleaning or avoidance behaviours aimed at reducing anxiety.

2. Checking (6 items; Items 7, 20, 33, 37, 41, and 43; scores range from 0 to 24): This subscale focuses on obsessions and compulsions related to checking behaviours. Individuals that score high in this subscale may repetitively check doors, locks, or appliances to ensure security or to prevent potential harm or danger.

3. Obsessions (12 items; Items 2, 6, 12, 16, 27, 28, 30, 34, 40, 46, 52, and 54; scores range from 0 to 48): This subscale assesses the frequency and severity of obsessive thoughts, mental images, or urges experienced by the individual. High scoring individuals in this subscale may experience intrusive and unwelcome thoughts, causing significant distress or anxiety.

4. Hoarding (7 items; Items 10, 22, 26, 35, 42, 45, and 51; scores range from 0 to 28): This subscale examines obsessions and compulsions related to hoarding behaviours. Individuals that score high in this subscale may struggle to discard possessions, leading to excessive accumulation and distress or functional impairment.

5. Just Right (12 items; Items 1, 5, 9, 14, 18, 19, 24, 36, 38, 47, 53, and 55; scores range from 0 to 48): This subscale assesses obsessions and compulsions concerning the need for things to feel “just right” or perfect. Individuals scoring high in this subscale may experience distress if items are not arranged or organised precisely, engaging in repetitive behaviours to achieve a sense of completeness or symmetry.

6. Indecisiveness (6 items; Items 4, 11, 17, 29, 31, and 48; scores range from 0 to 24): Items in this subscale evaluate difficulties with decision-making and uncertainty. High scoring individuals in this subscale may experience significant distress or anxiety when confronted with choices, leading to repetitive behaviours or seeking reassurance to alleviate uncertainty.

In addition to the raw scores, results are presented in terms of percentile ranks compared to an OCD group, anxious/depressed group (AD), community adults (CA), and a student (S) sample. Percentile ranks for the community adults group should be interpreted with caution as the validity group has a low sample size (n=39). High percentiles indicate high levels of symptoms compared to comparison group.

Thordarson et. al. (2004) evaluated the factor structure of the MOCI-R and modified the scale to produce a test with a high level of internal consistently and high loading factors (see reference). The authors established the validity of the VOCI through testing individuals with known diagnoses of either OCD (n = 88), depression or anxiety (n = 60). These scores were compared to community adult group (n = 39) and a student group (n = 200). A comparison between the mean score for the OCD sample and the mean for each comparison groups was conducted, using the Dunnett method of multiple comparisons. The OCD group scored significantly higher than the other groups on the VOCI total score, Contamination, Checking, Just Right, and Indecisiveness subscales.

A t-test analysis was also undertaken to see if the scale could discriminate between different subtypes of OCD. The results clearly support the known-groups validity of the Contamination, Checking, Obsessions, and Hoarding subscales. Test re-test reliability among OCD groups is high, with all coefficients 0.9 or above after 47 days. For the student sample, however, test retest reliability was poor (0.5 to 0.6).

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