Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS)

Read each of the following statements carefully, and note the number that best fits the way you have been thinking and what you have been doing over the last seven days.

The first five questions are about obsessive thoughts:

1. How much of your time do you occupy with obsessive thoughts? How frequently do the obsessive thoughts occur?

• 0 = None.
• 1 = Mild, less than 1 hr/day or occasional intrusion.
• 2 = Moderate, 1 - 3 hrs/day or frequent intrusion.
• 3 = Severe, greater than 3 and up to 8 hrs/day or very frequent intrusion.
• 4 = Extreme, greater than 8 hrs/day or near constant intrusion.

2. How much do your obsessive thoughts interfere with your social or work (or role) functioning?

• 0 = Not at all.
• 1 = Mild, slight interference with social or work activities, but overall performance not impaired.
• 2 = Moderate, definite interference with social or work performance, but still manageable.
• 3 = Severe, causes substantial impairment in social or work performance.
• 4 = Extreme, incapacitating.

3. How much distress do your obsessive thoughts cause you?

• 0 = None.
• 1 = Mild, not too disturbing.
• 2 = Moderate, disturbing, but still manageable.
• 3 = Severe, very disturbing.
• 4 = Extreme, near constant and disabling distress.

4. How much of an effort do you make to resist the obsessive thoughts? How often do you try to disregard or turn your attention away from these thoughts as they enter your mind?

• 0 = I make an effort always to resist, or symptoms so minimal don't need to actively resist.
• 1 = I try to resist most of the time.
• 2 = I make some effort to resist.
• 3 = I yield to all obsessions without attempting to control them, but do so with some reluctance.
• 4 = I completely and willingly yield to all obsessions.

5. How much control do you have over your obsessive thoughts? How successful are you in stopping or diverting your obsessive thinking?

• 0 = Complete control.
• 1 = Much control, usually I am able to stop or divert obsessions with some effort and concentration.
• 2 = Moderate control, I am sometimes able to stop or divert obsessions.
• 3 = Little control, I am rarely successful in stopping or dismissing obsessions, and can only divert attention with difficulty.
• 4 = No control, I am rarely able to even momentarily alter obsessive thinking.

The next five questions are about compulsive behaviours:

6. How much time do you spend performing compulsive behaviours (rituals)? How frequently do you perform them?

• 0 = None.
• 1 = Less than 1hr/day doing rituals, or occasional performance of rituals.
• 2 = From 1 -3 hrs/day doing rituals, or frequent performance of rituals (up to 8 times per day).
• 3 = Up to 8 hrs/day doing rituals, or very frequently carry them out (more than 8 times per day).
• 4 = More than 8 hrs/day doing rituals, or near constant performance of rituals (too numerous too count).

7. How much do your compulsive behaviours interfere with your social or work (or role) functioning? (If currently not working please think how much it would affect you)

• 0 = Not at all.
• 1 = Mild, slight interference with social or occupational activities, but overall performance not impaired.
• 2 = Moderate, definite interference with social or occupational performance, but still manageable.
• 3 = Severe, causes substantial impairment in social or occupational performance.
• 4 = Extreme, incapacitating.

8. How anxious would you become if prevented from performing your ritual(s)? How anxious do you get while performing rituals until you are satisfied they are completed?

• 0 = Not at all
• 1 = Mild, only slightly anxious if rituals prevented, or only slight anxiety during performance of rituals.
• 2 = Moderate, anxiety that would mount but remain manageable if rituals prevented, or anxiety increases but remains manageable during performance of rituals.
• 3 = Severe, prominent and very disturbing increase if rituals interrupted, or prominent and very disturbing increase in anxiety during performance of rituals.
• 4 = Extreme, incapacitating anxiety from any intervention aimed at modifying activity, or incapacitating anxiety develops during performance of ritual.

9. How much of an effort do you make to resist the rituals?

• 0 = I make an effort to resist, or symptoms so minimal I don't need to actively resist.
• 1 = I try to resist most of the time.
• 2 = I make some effort to resist.
• 3 = I yield to almost all rituals without attempting to control them, but do so with some reluctance.
• 4 = Completely and willingly yield to all rituals.

10. How strong is the drive to perform the rituals? How much control do you have over them?

• 0 = Complete control.
• 1 = Much control, I experience pressure to do a ritual but am usually able to exercise voluntary control over it.
• 2 = Moderate control, strong pressure to do a ritual, I can control it only with difficulty.
• 3 = Little control, very strong drive to do a ritual which must be carried to completion, I can only delay with difficulty.
• 4 = No control, drive to perform ritual completely involuntary and overpowering, I am rarely able to even momentarily delay activity.

Score

Add up the numbers you have noted:

•  0 -  7: not worth treating
•  8 - 15: mild
• 16 - 23: moderate
• 24 - 31: severe
• 32 - 40: extreme

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