Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
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This is a screening tool for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), designed for anyone experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts or repetitive behaviours. The assessment takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and is based on the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI-R), a validated screening tool widely used by mental health professionals in Canadian clinical settings. Your responses are completely anonymous and confidential. OCD is a mental health condition involving unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) that a person feels driven to perform. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), OCD affects approximately 1-2% of Canadians. It’s not about being neat or organized—it’s a serious condition that causes significant distress and interferes with daily functioning.
Please note: This is a screening tool only and does not provide a diagnosis. OCD is a highly treatable condition with proper evidence-based therapy and professional support. We strongly encourage you to discuss your results with your family doctor or a mental health professional. All responses are anonymous and confidential.
Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter your mind and cause significant anxiety or distress. Common obsession themes include: fear of contamination or germs; fear of harm coming to yourself or others; need for symmetry, order, or exactness; unwanted sexual, violent, or blasphemous thoughts; religious or moral concerns (scrupulosity); and fear of losing important items.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that you feel driven to perform to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. Common compulsions include: excessive washing, cleaning, or sanitizing; checking locks, switches, appliances, or other items repeatedly; counting, tapping, or repeating actions a specific number of times; arranging things in a precise or symmetrical way; seeking reassurance from others; and mental rituals such as praying, counting silently, or repeating words in your mind.
The OCD cycle follows a pattern: An obsessive thought triggers anxiety → You perform a compulsion to reduce anxiety → You experience temporary relief → The obsession returns, often stronger.
Everyone occasionally has intrusive thoughts or preferences about how things should be arranged. OCD is fundamentally different because: thoughts are persistent, frequent, and feel uncontrollable; they cause significant distress and impairment; compulsions are extremely time-consuming, often taking an hour or more daily; they substantially interfere with daily life, work, school, or relationships; and the person recognizes the thoughts are excessive or unreasonable but cannot stop them despite this awareness.
To complete this assessment accurately, please rate how much each statement has bothered or distressed you during the past month. Answer honestly about both the frequency and the impact of these experiences. Think about your typical experience over the past month, not just one particularly bad day. There are no right or wrong answers—this is about understanding your personal experience. Please answer all questions for the most accurate results.
Rating scale: For each statement below, select the rating that best describes how much it has distressed or bothered you:
Extremely (4) – Bothers me constantly, severe impact on functioning
Add up your scores from all 18 questions. Your total possible score ranges from 0 to 72 points.
Score interpretation:
Subscale patterns: The OCI-R measures six distinct symptom areas, which helps identify your specific OCD symptom profile:
You may score particularly high in one or more specific areas while having lower scores in others, which helps identify your unique OCD symptom pattern.
What this means: Your responses strongly suggest symptoms consistent with OCD. These symptoms are likely causing significant distress and substantially interfering with your daily life, work, relationships, or functioning.
Next steps:
Important to know:
What this means: You’re experiencing some obsessive-compulsive symptoms that may be affecting your quality of life and daily functioning. While your symptoms may not meet the full diagnostic criteria for OCD, they warrant professional attention and support.
Next steps:
Keep in mind:
What this means: Your responses don’t strongly suggest OCD at this time. However, if you remain concerned about specific symptoms or patterns, it’s still worthwhile to discuss them with a healthcare professional.
Remember:
OCD is highly treatable, and research from Canadian treatment centres shows that most people see significant improvement with proper evidence-based treatment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with ERP:
CBT with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective psychological treatment for OCD and is considered the gold standard. ERP works by gradually exposing you to feared situations or thoughts while helping you learn to resist performing compulsions and tolerate the resulting anxiety. Over time, you discover that anxiety naturally decreases without rituals. Treatment typically involves 12-20 sessions and can be conducted individually or in group settings.
How ERP works:
Medication:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line medication treatment for OCD. They are often most effective when used alongside therapy rather than alone. SSRIs for OCD often require higher doses than those used for depression and may take 8-12 weeks to achieve full therapeutic effect. Common medications prescribed include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluvoxamine (Luvox).
Combined treatment:
Research from the University of British Columbia and other Canadian institutions demonstrates that CBT with ERP combined with medication is often most effective, especially for moderate to severe OCD cases.
Self-help strategies:
Your Family Doctor: Your first step should be booking an appointment for assessment and referral to appropriate mental health services in your area.
Provincial Mental Health Services:
Specialist OCD Organizations:
Private Therapy:
If accessible and affordable, private CBT therapists specializing in OCD and ERP can provide treatment. Search for psychologists registered with your provincial regulatory college who list OCD as a specialty area. Many therapists now offer virtual sessions across provincial boundaries.
Recovery is possible:
Many Canadians with OCD achieve significant symptom reduction through treatment. Some people recover completely and remain symptom-free, while others learn to manage symptoms effectively with minimal interference in their lives. Relapses can occur during stressful periods, but you’ll have learned tools and strategies to cope effectively. Research from McMaster University shows that maintaining treatment gains is possible with continued practice of ERP techniques.
Lifestyle factors that help:
When to seek additional help:
Contact your healthcare provider if symptoms return or significantly worsen; major life changes or stressors trigger increased symptoms; compulsions are becoming increasingly unmanageable or time-consuming; you’re experiencing depression or other mental health concerns alongside OCD; or symptoms are interfering with your ability to function at work, school, or in relationships.
For family and friends:
Learn about OCD—understanding the condition helps you provide better support. Avoid participating in rituals or providing excessive reassurance, as this maintains the OCD cycle. Encourage and support treatment while being patient with the recovery process. Recognize that OCD is separate from the person—it’s a condition they have, not who they are. Remember to look after your own mental health and wellbeing throughout this journey.
Myth: OCD is just about being clean and organized.
Reality: OCD involves distressing intrusive obsessions and compulsions across many different themes—contamination is just one possible manifestation. Many people with OCD struggle with intrusive thoughts about harm, morality, relationships, or other themes unrelated to cleanliness.
Myth: Everyone’s a little bit OCD.
Reality: OCD is a serious clinical disorder causing significant impairment and distress, not a personality quirk or preference for organization. Casually claiming to be “so OCD” trivializes a debilitating mental health condition.
Myth: People with OCD can just stop their compulsions if they try hard enough.
Reality: OCD involves neurobiological factors and brain differences. It’s not a matter of willpower—professional treatment with evidence-based therapy is necessary for recovery.
Myth: OCD can’t be effectively treated.
Reality: According to CAMH and international research, OCD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions when proper evidence-based therapy (particularly CBT with ERP) is provided.
Myth: Medication is the only treatment option.
Reality: CBT with ERP is often more effective than medication alone for long-term management. Combined treatment with both therapy and medication works best for many individuals with moderate to severe OCD.
This screening tool is based on the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI-R), a validated and widely used assessment instrument in both research and clinical practice.
Reference: Foa, E.B., Huppert, J.D., Leiberg, S., Langner, R., Kichic, R., Hajcak, G., & Salkovskis, P.M. (2002). The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: Development and validation of a short version. Psychological Assessment, 14(4), 485-495.
The OCI-R has been validated in Canadian populations and is used by mental health professionals across Canada for screening and symptom monitoring.
This online screening tool is not a diagnostic instrument and does not provide a clinical diagnosis. It provides guidance and educational information only and cannot replace professional evaluation by a qualified mental health provider such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. OCD diagnosis requires comprehensive assessment by a trained professional using standardized diagnostic criteria. If your symptoms are causing significant distress or impairment in your daily functioning, please contact your family doctor for proper assessment, diagnosis, and referral to appropriate treatment services. This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not collect, store, or share any personal health information (compliant with Canadian privacy legislation including PIPEDA).