DOCS: Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Rate the severity of your symptoms across four key dimensions (0=None to 4=Extreme).
Dimension: Contamination
Time spent washing/cleaning
Avoidance of germs/chemicals
Distress when exposed
Interference with life
Difficulty resisting urges
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
When to Use
Differential assessment of the four primary dimensions of OCD
Symptom-specific monitoring for patients with varied clinical presentations
Assessment of symptom severity, distress, and interference across domains
Informing Targeted Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) protocols
Section 2
Formula & Logic
The Four Dimensions
Contamination / Washing
Responsibility for Harm / Checking
Unacceptable Thoughts / Neutralizing
Symmetry / Completeness / Ordering
Scoring Logic
Each of the four dimensions is rated on 5 items reflecting: (1) Time, (2) Avoidance, (3) Distress, (4) Functional Interference, and (5) Resistance. Each item is rated 0–4. Dimension totals range from 0 to 20.
Section 3
Evidence Appraisal
Validation
Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: development and evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.
Abramowitz JS et al. • Psychol Assess.. 2010;22(1):180-98. Showed superior discriminative validity and factor structure over existing OCD measures.
