Reliability and validity of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale in schizophrenia patients
De Haan, L.; Hoogeboom, B.; Beuk, N.; Wouters, L.; Dingemans, P.M.A.J.; Linszen, D.H.
Psychopharmacology Bulletin 39(1): 25-30
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0048-5764 PMID: 17065972 Document Number: 604093
Although a sizeable minority of people with schizophrenia manifest obsessive and compulsive symptoms, to our knowledge there are no studies of the psychometric performance of measures such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The present study examined psychometric properties of the Y-BOCS in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). To 37 patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and related disorders and comorbid OCS taken from 135 consecutively admitted patients we administered the Y-BOCS at admission and 6 weeks later. The Y-BOCS showed good internal consistency and interrater reliability in this population; however, findings concerning the divergent validity against depressive and negative symptoms are inconsistent.