Abstract
Background: Little is known about the symptom profile of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is also unknown whether self-report questionnaires are useful in measuring OCD in ASD.
Aims: To describe the symptom profiles of adults with ASD, OCD, and ASD+OCD using the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI-R), and to assess the utility of the OCI-R as a screening measure in a high-functioning adult ASD sample.
Method: Individuals with ASD (n=171), OCD (n=108), ASD+OCD (n=54) and control participants (n=92) completed the OCI-R.
Results: Individuals with ASD+OCD reported significantly higher levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than those with ASD alone. OCD symptoms were not significantly correlated with core ASD repetitive behaviours as measured on the ADI-R or ADOS-G. The OCI-R showed good psychometric properties and corresponded well with clinician diagnosis of OCD. ROC analysis suggested cut-offs for OCI-R Total and Checking scores that discriminated well between ASD + versus –OCD, and fairly well between ASD-alone and OCD-alone.
Conclusions: OCD manifests separately from ASD and is characterised by a different profile of repetitive thoughts and behaviours. The OCI-R appears to be useful as a screening tool in the ASD adult population.
Aims: To describe the symptom profiles of adults with ASD, OCD, and ASD+OCD using the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI-R), and to assess the utility of the OCI-R as a screening measure in a high-functioning adult ASD sample.
Method: Individuals with ASD (n=171), OCD (n=108), ASD+OCD (n=54) and control participants (n=92) completed the OCI-R.
Results: Individuals with ASD+OCD reported significantly higher levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than those with ASD alone. OCD symptoms were not significantly correlated with core ASD repetitive behaviours as measured on the ADI-R or ADOS-G. The OCI-R showed good psychometric properties and corresponded well with clinician diagnosis of OCD. ROC analysis suggested cut-offs for OCI-R Total and Checking scores that discriminated well between ASD + versus –OCD, and fairly well between ASD-alone and OCD-alone.
Conclusions: OCD manifests separately from ASD and is characterised by a different profile of repetitive thoughts and behaviours. The OCI-R appears to be useful as a screening tool in the ASD adult population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 477-485 |
| Journal | Autism Research |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 7 Feb 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2015 |
