Further psychometric properties of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale - Second Edition

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is a widely used clinician-rated measure for assessing obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Although numerous studies have supported its reliability and validity, improved phenomenological understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggests the need for modifications to item content, structure, and scoring. Consequently, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale - Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II) was developed. While the Y-BOCS-II shows initial promise, minimal data exist in examining the psychometric properties of the Y-BOCS-II English version. In response, the Y-BOCS-II was administered to 61 adult patients with a principal diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The internal consistency for the scores on the Obsession Severity (α=.83), Compulsion Severity (α=.75), and Total Severity (α=.86) scales were acceptable to good. The inter-rater reliability for the severity scale scores was excellent (ICC=.97-99) and the test-retest reliability was acceptable (r=.64-81). Strong convergent validity was observed between the Y-BOCS-II Total Severity scale and other measures of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and related impairment. Good divergent validity was supported by non-significant correlations between the Total Severity score and measures of anxiety and impulsiveness, though a moderate correlation was observed with depressive symptoms. Collectively, the Y-BOCS-II generally possesses sound psychometric properties and appears to be a viable alternative to the original Y-BOCS.