Psychometric attributes of the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale adapted in Bengali: A validation study in the Bengali-speaking population.

INTRODUCTION

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by underlying obsessions and yielding/nonyielding compulsions, which often leads to significant levels of distress for the individual. Recently, obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been grouped into various symptom dimensions. The Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) gives a comprehensive picture regarding symptom severity in each individual dimension of OCD, while also providing a global severity score.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The psychometric properties of the Bengali adaptation of DY-BOCS have been assessed in this study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed on 80 individuals suffering from OCD as per the ICD-10 DCR criteria. The Bengali version of the DY-BOCS and other scales for OCD, anxiety, and depression were administered to all of them. Inter-rater reliability was assessed for 34 individuals, and agreement between self and clinician-rated version of DY-BOCS was studied for 60 individuals. Internal consistency for items in a particular dimension of DY-BOCS, convergent validity, and divergent validity were also assessed.

RESULTS

Internal consistency was found to be excellent (Cronbach's α > 0.90 in all domains), and inter-rater reliability was found to be good to excellent for all the six dimensions of the DY-BOCS (intraclass correlation values >0.80 for aggressive and miscellaneous domains and >0.90 in all other domains). High correlation was found between self and clinician-rated versions of DY-BOCS for the age group 18-35 years, the highest correlations being found for the Contamination (r = 0.82) and Aggressive domains (r = 0.75), while it was found to decrease in the older age group. Convergent validity and divergent validity were found to be satisfactory.

CONCLUSION

The psychometric attributes of the Bengali version of DY-BOCS appear to be satisfactory and thus can be reasonably administered to the population having Bengali as their mother tongue.