Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) have not been studied among Nigerian adolescents, despite studies in developed countries reporting that almost 90% of affected adolescents do not receive any treatment. The availability of a psychometrically valid and reliable instrument will serve as an initial step towards the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of Nigerian adolescent obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics as well as correlates of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory - Child Version (OCI-CV) in a non-clinical sample of Nigerian adolescents. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1017 adolescents who completed the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The model fit of the OCI-CV 6 factors was examined through confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was determined by calculating the McDonald's Omega hierarchical (ωh) values while its concurrent validity was examined through correlational analyses. RESULTS: The overall internal consistency of the OCI-CV was 0.96. The indices of fitness obtained on subjecting the 21 items of the OCI-CV to CFA indicated modestly acceptable indices of fitness despite satisfactory item loading on the 6 subscales. Statistically significant correlations were observed between OCI-CV and the other study measures. OCS was reported by 37.8%. CONCLUSION: The OCI-CV has exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties among Nigerian adolescents.