Presentation of the Italian version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (part II). Convergent validity and specifity of the constructs in a clinical group
Caterina Novara, Stella Dorz, Massimiliano Pastore, Claudio Sica, Ezio Sanavio
The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) is a questionnaire developed by the international group
Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG) to assess cognitive domains that are
considered central in the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the
first part of this work we have described the Italian validation procedure and have presented some
psychometric characteristics of the OBQ-46. In this second part we present the results related to
concurrent and discriminant validity of the OBQ-46. The questionnaire was administered to 49 patients
with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 21 patients with other anxiety disorders and to 50 non-clinical
controls.
Comparison between groups highlights the specificity of the responsibility for harm and for omission
in OCD Italian population. In addition, the congruence between OC sub-types and beliefs does not
seem entirely confirmed. Results are discussed in terms of future expansion and revision of centrality
and specificity of the cognitive constructs related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and the possible
existence of higher-order constructs.
Keywords
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, assessment, validation, clinical population.
