Obsessive and Compulsive Characteristics of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: Quantification by a Newly Developed Questionnaire

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Abstract
The purpose of the this study was to develop an instrument for measuring the obsessive and compulsive characteristics of drinking‐related thought and behavior in subjects who abuse or are dependent on alcohol, and to quantify the extent to which drinking‐related thought and behavior in these subjects resemble the obsessions and compulsions seen in obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). To achieve these goals, the Yale‐Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) was modified to reflect obsessionality and compulsivity specifically related to heavy drinking rather than to obsessions and compulsions generally. The modified Y‐BOCS (Y‐BOCS‐hd) was administered to 62 subjects satisfying DSM‐III‐R criteria for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence and 62 matched normal controls. The data showed that the Y‐BOCS‐hd is a sensitive and specific instrument for measuring the obsessive and compulsive characteristics of drinking‐related thought and behavior in alcohol‐abusing and alcohol‐dependent populations, and that there are specific and quantifiable similarities between these characteristics and the obsessions and compulsions of OCD. The data also indicated that the Y‐BOCS‐hd may be a useful screening instrument for the presence of alcohol abuse and dependence.