Scale-Description

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS-10) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the severity and type of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in an individual. It is one of the most widely used and reliable scales for evaluating OCD in both clinical and research settings.
The Y-BOCS-10 consists of 10 items, which cover two main categories:
Obsessions: Includes questions that assess the frequency, intensity, and degree of control over intrusive thoughts.
Compulsions: Focuses on the frequency, duration, and degree of control over compulsive behaviors.
Responses to each item are typically rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater severity of symptoms.

Data Analysis and Usage

The data collected from the Y-BOCS-10 are used to estimate the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Clinicians can use the results to develop a comprehensive treatment plan and monitor the course of treatment over time.
Common analyses performed on Y-BOCS-10 data include
Statistical analysis to measure changes in symptom severity following interventions, such as medication or psychotherapy.
Reliability analysis to evaluate the internal consistency of the items.
Correlations between Y-BOCS-10 results and other psychometric tools that measure symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Purpose

The primary goal of the Y-BOCS-10 is to provide a detailed and quantitative assessment of the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Specifically, the tool:
Helps clinicians understand the extent and impact of obsessions and compulsions on an individual’s life.
Facilitates the diagnosis of OCD and helps tailor therapeutic interventions.
Is used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment by monitoring changes in symptoms over time.

Calibration

The calibration of the Y-BOCS-10 is conducted through various procedures to ensure its validity and reliability:
Reliability analysis: Calculation of Cronbach’s alpha to estimate the internal consistency of the items.
Confirmatory factor analysis to examine the structure of the scale’s two main dimensions (obsessions and compulsions).
Cross-validation in different patient groups to confirm the applicability of the scale across various populations.

Bibliography

Goodman, W. K., Price, L. H., Rasmussen, S. A., Mazure, C., Fleischmann, R. L., Hill, C. L., … & Charney, D. S. (1989). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: I. Development, use, and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46(11), 1006-1011.
Storch, E. A., Rasmussen, S. A., Price, L. H., Larson, M. J., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2010). Development and psychometric evaluation of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale—Second Edition. Psychological Assessment, 22(2), 223-232.
Rapp, A. M., Bergman, R. L., Piacentini, J., & McGuire, J. F. (2016). Evidence-based assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Central Nervous System Disease, 8, 13-29.