Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)

💡 What is the Y-BOCS?
The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is a well-established tool used to assess the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

It helps explore how obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviours) may be affecting your daily life.

It’s often used by mental health professionals to:

Understand your experience of OCD

Measure how much it interferes with daily functioning

Monitor changes over time, especially during therapy

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🧠 What does it measure?
The Y-BOCS focuses on two key areas:

Obsessions
Recurrent, unwanted, or distressing thoughts, urges, or images
E.g. fears of contamination, harm, or upsetting thoughts

Compulsions
Repetitive behaviours or mental rituals done to reduce anxiety
E.g. checking, washing, counting, repeating, or avoiding