Quick assessment for people with OCD

How often does the following happen to you?

1. Repeat tasks because they don’t “feel right” the first time, e.g. switching off lights, putting things down, locking or closing doors

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

2. Collect items that have no value, e.g. magazines, newspapers etc.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

3. Repeat tasks according to a “lucky number”

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

4. Get anxious about certain words, phrases or numbers

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

5. Have rituals for leaving the house, e.g. locking door, touching door, checking bag, windows etc.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

6. Find difficulty reading due to having to frequently re-read sections

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

7. Find yourself retracing your steps when walking in public

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

8. Find it difficult to stop doing tasks which are naturally repetitive, e.g. cleaning teeth, flicking through TV remote, pushing buttons, typing on keyboard

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

9. Regularly feel the need to arrange objects according to a certain pattern, e.g. colour code, alphabetical order or symmetry

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

10. Have to think of a “good thought” to counteract a “bad thought”

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

11. Distressing images popping into your head for no reason, e.g. harm coming to others, unwanted sexual or violent images

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

12. Start most of your reasoning with “what if….”

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

13. Spend long periods of time researching matters that worry you on the internet

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

14. Mentally go over and over situations that have already occurred or might occur

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

15. Cleaning personal objects such as keys, remote controls, purses, wallets, bags, credit cards?

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

16. Pull your sleeves over your hands before touching handles

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

17. Spend an unreasonably long time in the bathroom (say, more than 20 minutes or so)

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

18. Avoid putting dirty washing in with the rest of your immediate household

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

19. Worry that you are attracted to the same sex

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

20. Have sore, chapped, red hands from washing them too much

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

21. Have difficulty eating food or drink served in public places for fear of germs, disease or other contamination

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

22. Outside, walk with head down, scanning for danger

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

23. Ask others for reassurance about things which only seem to matter to you

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

24. Worrying about loved ones when they leave the house to do everyday tasks

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

25. Avoid driving because you are fearful of causing an accident

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

26. Avoid vulnerable groups of people, e.g. children, the elderly, the disabled etc.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

27. Overly check electrical/gas appliances and taps are turned off

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

28. Become anxious around knives or other potentially harmful objects.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

29. Check emails so ensure you haven’t said something inappropriate

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

30. Do you have difficulty throwing items away because you may need them in the future

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

 

Please add up your total scores*.
0 - 50 Unlikely to have OCD, if so it is probably mild and not currently intruding upon your life.
51 - 100 It is possible you have OCD and that it is affecting your life. We recommend that you carry out a full assessment (you could try our full version) or seek diagnosis from a mental health professional.
101 - 150 It is highly likely that you have OCD and it is causing you considerable discomfort (possibly to those around you). Please don't suffer further and seek help as soon as possible.
*please note that this assessment is a useful guideline only and should not replace a full assessment with a licensed professional, either employed by the OCD Centre or elsewhere.

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Carer's assessment

Quick assessment for carers

As far as you know often does the person you care for do the following?

1. Repeat everyday tasks such as switching off lights, putting things down, locking or closing doors

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

2. Hoard large amounts of items that have no real value, e.g. magazines, newspapers etc. and won't throw them away

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

3. Seem to regularly use a “lucky number” when doing everyday tasks

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

4. Regularly ask you to carry out tasks for them that they are able to do themselves

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

5. Use rituals for leaving the house, e.g. locking door, touching door, checking bag, windows etc.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

6. Find difficulty reading or spend long periods of time reading the same small passage of text

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

7. Stop suddenly whilst walking, walk around spots on pavement/sidewalk, pause, retrace their steps, walk backwards

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

8. Find it difficult to stop doing tasks which are naturally repetitive, e.g. cleaning teeth, flicking through TV remote, pushing buttons, typing on keyboard

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

9. Arrange objects in their personal space according to a certain pattern, e.g. colour code, alphabetical order or symmetry

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

10. Ask you the same question over and over again

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

11. Ask you to repeat phrases, answer their questions in specific ways, have ritualistic questions when you leave the house without them

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

12. Start many of their conversations with “what if….”

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

13. Spend long periods of time researching matters that worry them on the internet

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

14. Seem to be often locked in thought and sometimes distressed by this

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

15. Overly c lean personal objects such as keys, remote controls, purses, wallets, bags, credit cards?

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

16. Pull their sleeves over their hands before touching handles

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

17. Spend an unreasonably long time in the bathroom (say, more than 20 minutes or so)

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

18. Avoid putting dirty washing in with the rest of the household

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

19. Won't allow other people into their personal space, e.g. bedroom or office

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

20. Have sore, chapped, red hands from washing them too much

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

21. Have difficulty eating food or drink served in public places for fear of germs, disease or other contamination

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

22. Outside, walk with head down, scanning for danger

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

23. Constantly ask you for reassurance about things which only seem to matter to them

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

24. Worry overly about loved ones when they leave the house to do everyday tasks

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

25. Avoid driving because they are fearful of causing an accident

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

26. Avoid vulnerable groups of people, e.g. children, the elderly, the disabled etc.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

27. Overly check electrical/gas appliances and taps are turned off

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

28. Become anxious around knives or other potentially harmful objects.

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

29. Don't like using telephones or mobile phones

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

30. Suddenly change their behaviour without obvious reason, e.g. avoiding situations, people, places

never    sometimes    often    very often    all the time

 

Please add up the total scores*.

0 - 50 Unlikely to have OCD, if so it is probably mild and not currently intruding upon their life.
51 - 100 It is possible that they have OCD and that it is starting to affect, and that of others too. If they are unaware that they might have OCD, this assessment is not conclusive, and the situation may need to be handled carefully. It may be helpful to leave information around for them to read if they choose.
101 - 150 It is highly likely that the person you care about has OCD and it is causing you and them considerable discomfort. If you can encourage them to seek help this would be the best option, otherwise, if they don't want to seek help, you may need to start thinking about how you might set helpful boundaries for yourself and them.

*please note that this assessment is a useful guideline only and should not replace a full assessment with a licensed professional, either employed by the OCD Centre or elsewhere.