Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)
Measures the severity and type of symptoms in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) over the past seven days.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was developed by Goodman, W. K., Price, L. H., Rasmussen, S. A., Mazure, C., Fleischmann, R. L., Hill, C. L., & Charney, D. S. (1989). It is designed to measure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Severity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Obsessions, Compulsions.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Obsessions | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Compulsions | 6,7,8,9,10 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = 0 (None / 0 hours / Complete control / Always resists), 1 = 1 (Mild / 0-1 hours / Much control / Much resistance), 2 = 2 (Moderate / 1-3 hours / Some control / Some resistance), 3 = 3 (Severe / 3-8 hours / Little control / Often yields), 4 = 4 (Extreme / >8 hours / No control / Completely yields).
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subclinical: 0 – 7
- Mild: 8 – 15
- Moderate: 16 – 23
- Severe: 24 – 31
- Extreme: 32 – 40
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.