Description

The Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) is a widely used clinical assessment tool designed to evaluate the severity and type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in children and adolescents. The CY-BOCS helps in assessing both the presence and intensity of obsessions and compulsions, providing a comprehensive picture of the child’s OCD symptoms.

Data Analysis and Usage

The analysis of data from the CY-BOCS involves:
Data Collection: Administering the scale to the child, typically in a clinical setting, and collecting responses based on the child’s experiences and symptoms.
Scoring: Calculating scores for obsessions and compulsions separately, using a Likert-type scale that ranges from 0 to 4 for each item, with higher scores indicating greater severity.
Interpretation: Analyzing the scores to determine the severity of OCD symptoms, identify patterns in the types of obsessions and compulsions, and assess the level of functional impairment.
Application: Using the results to inform treatment planning, track symptom changes over time, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) are:
Assessment of OCD Symptoms: To evaluate the severity and type of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents.
Identification of Treatment Needs: To provide clinicians with detailed information about the child’s OCD symptoms to guide treatment decisions and interventions.
Monitoring Progress: To track changes in symptom severity over time, assessing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

Calibration

The calibration of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) includes:
Scoring: Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 4, with scores summed to provide an overall measure of obsession and compulsion severity.
Statistical Analysis: Ensuring the reliability and validity of the scale through statistical methods, including analysis of internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Normative Data: Comparing individual scores to normative data to understand the severity of symptoms in the context of other children with OCD.

Bibliography

Scahill, L., Riddle, M. A., McSwiggin-Hardin, M., et al. (1997). Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: Reliability and Validity.
Goodman, W. K., Price, L. H., Rasmussen, S. A., et al. (1989). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: I. Development, use, and reliability.
March, J. S., Parker, J. D., Sullivan, K., et al. (1997). The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children: Reliability and validity of the child self-report form.
Mancini, F., & Van den Heuvel, O. A. (2014). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: New Insights into the Pathophysiology and Treatment.
Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., & Arnold, E. B. (2007). Psychometric Properties of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in a Clinical Sample.