ABSTRACT
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is rare compared to the other disorders considered in this volume, affecting just 1.1% of the UK population (Torres et al. 2006), but approximately two-thirds are severely functionally impaired, not engaging in occupational or social life. Sufferers from OCD alone are the exception (18.8%) rather than the rule, 81.2% suffering at least one additional disorder (Zimmerman et al. 2008). The multi-psychiatric disorder screening devices, the 7 Minute Mental Health Screes and the self-report version, the First Step Questionnaire, have both been revised to better screen for OCD and incorporate the NICE (2006) recommended five-symptom screen, the Zohar–Fineberg Obsessive Compulsive Screen (Fineberg et al. 2003), as well as asking the client whether this is something that they want help with. The Zohar–Fineberg Obsessive Compulsive Screen correctly identified (sensitivity) 94.4% of those with OCD and 85.1% (specificity) of those without OCD in a study of outpatients attending a dermatology clinic. Positive screens can be evaluated further using the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Pocketbook, Appendix A.
