THE YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE - CONFIRMATORY FACTOR-ANALYTIC FINDINGS

The psychometric properties of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Sca le (Y-BOCS) have recently been heavily examined. Specifically, a numbe r of researchers have been interested in determining the factor struct ure of this scale to find whether it best forms a one, two, or three f actor model. The present study continued this examination by consideri ng different scaling models using confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of individuals diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OC D). One hundred and forty-six individuals diagnosed with OCD participa ted and were administered the Y-BOCS and scales measuring depression ( Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale). It was found that the Y-BOCS forms two different two-factor m odels. One model consisted of an obsessions and compulsions factor; th e other composed of disturbance and symptom severity factors. It was l ikewise found that depression and anxiety were related to both factors in one model (disturbance and symptom severity). The finding that dep ression was related to obsessions and anxiety to compulsions was found , as in a previous factor analysis of the Y-BOCS. These findings sugge st that OCD may be best characterized as a multidimensional syndrome t hat may not be adequately examined by a single unitary factor as descr ibed in the Y-BOCS.