Objective: To examine the longitudinal diagnostic efficiency of the DSM-IV criteria for obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).

Method: At baseline, criteria and diagnoses were determined using diagnostic interviews, and blinded assessments were performed 24 months later with 550 participants. Diagnostic efficiency indices (conditional probabilities, total predictive power, and kappa) were calculated for each criterion determined at baseline, using the independent OCPD diagnosis at follow-up as the standard.

Results: Longitudinal diagnostic efficiencies for the OCPD criteria varied; findings suggested the overall predictive utility of preoccupied with details, rigid and stubborn, and reluctant to delegate.

Conclusion: These findings suggest the predictive validity of three cognitive-interpersonal OCPD criteria.