Factor analysis of Y-BOCS checklist and severity scale among patients with schizophrenia

To carry out factor analysis of YBOCS checklist and YBOCS severity scale among patients with schizophrenia.

181 patients of schizophrenia were assessed on the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptom (YBOCS) checklist, YBOCS severity scale and, positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS).

About one fourth (28.18%) of the patients fulfilled the diagnosis of current OCD and 29.83% of patients fulfilled the lifetime diagnosis of OCD. Factor analysis of YBOCS checklist yielded 5 factor structures. Factor analysis of YBOCS severity scale yielded a 2 factor model. The five factors of YBOCS checklist were named as: Hoarding (included hoarding obsessions and compulsions), contamination (included contamination obsessions and cleaning compulsions), symmetry & ordering (obsessions of symmetry and ordering compulsions), Blasphemous, religious & repetition (sexual and religious obsessions, repeating and counting compulsions) and Aggression and checking (aggressive and somatic obsessions, checking compulsions). In the two factor model of YBOCS severity scale, Factor-1 included 6 items related to time spent, interference and distress related to obsessions and compulsions; whereas factor-2 included items of resistance to and control over obsessions and compulsions.

Present study suggests that YBOCS checklist yielded 5 factor structures and factor analysis of YBOCS severity scale results in a 2 factor model among patients with schizophrenia. The five factor model is comparable with what has been reported for patients with pure OCD.