Psychometric properties of the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale, second edition, self-report (Y-BOCS-II-SR)

Abstract

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is the gold-standard tool for measuring obsessive compulsive symptom severity. An updated second edition was introduced to address limitations of the original instrument, with both clinician-administered and self-report versions. No published studies have examined the psychometric properties of the self-report version, which is the purpose of the current study. Individuals with a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD, N = 67) completed the clinician-administered and self-report Y-BOCS-II, as well as a number of other self-report measures assessing obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and impairment from symptoms in a counterbalanced order. Results suggest an internally consistent measure (α = .90) that has strong convergent validity with measures of OCD symptoms including the clinician-rated Y-BOCS-II, but only moderate correlations with the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. The self-report version also demonstrated fair discriminant validity. A reliable change index of 8 was found for this measure, which was associated with a large effect size following cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD. Limitations include a predominantly White and female sample. The self-report version of the Y-BOCS-II appears to be a psychometrically reasonable measure for use with individuals with OCD though its ability to discriminate OCD from other disorders characterized by anxiety or depression requires further study.