Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale

Obsessions are unwelcome and distressing ideas, thoughts, or impulses that repeatedly enter your mind. They may seem to occur against your will. They may be repugnant to you, you may recognize them as senseless, and they may not fit your personality.

Examples: recurrent thought or impulses to do harm to a child even though you never would, the idea that household cleansers may lead to contamination and serious illness 

Obsessions differ from worries in that worries are about possible negative things related to life problems that you are afraid might happen. For example, you may worry about failing an exam, about finances, health, or personal relationships. In contrast to obsessions, your worries don’t usually seem totally senseless, repugnant, or inconsistent with your personality.

Please think about your obsessions when answering the first 5 questions. Select the answer that best describes you over the last 7 days (including today).

Please select your answer None Less than 1 hour/day or occasional occurrence 1 to 3 hours/day or frequent occurrence More than 3 and up to 8 hours/day or very frequent occurrence More than 8 hours/day or nearly constant occurrence

Please select your answer None Slight interference with social or other activities, but overall performance not impaired Definite interference with social or occupational performance, but still manageable Substantial interference in social or occupational performance Extreme, incapacitating interference

Please select your answer None Mild, infrequent and not too disturbing distress Moderate, frequent and disturbing distress, but still manageable Severe, very frequent and very disturbing distress Extreme, near constant and disabling distress

Please select your answer Try to resist all the time (or the obsessions are so minimal there is no need to actively resist them) Try to resist most of the time (e.g., more than half of the time) Make some effort to resist Yield to all obsessions without attempting to control them, but with some reluctance Completely and willingly yield to all obsessions

Please select your answer Complete control Much control; usually able to stop or divert obsessions with some effort and concentration Moderate control; sometimes able to stop or divert obsessions Little control; rarely successful in stopping or dismissing obsessions, can only divert attention with difficulty No control; rarely able to even momentarily alter obsessive thinking

Please select any obsessions you are currently experiencing or have experienced in the past.

Compulsions are behaviors or acts that you feel driven to perform although you may recognize them as senseless or excessive. Usually compulsions are performed in response to an obsession, or according to certain rules or in a stereotyped fashion. At times, you may try to resist doing them but this may prove difficult. You may experience discomfort that does not diminish until the behavior is completed.

Examples: the need to repeatedly check appliances, water faucets, and the lock on the front door before you can leave the house, repeated handwashing, silent checking or having to recite nonsense phrases to yourself each time you have a bad thought

Compulsions, as we define them here, are not to be confused with other kinds of compulsive behavior such as overeating, gambling, drinking alcohol, overshopping, or other “addictive behaviors.”

Please think about your compulsions when answering the last 5 questions. Select the answer that best describes you over the last 7 days (including today).

Please select your answer None Less than 1 hour/day or occasional performance of compulsive behaviors From 1 to 3 hours/day or frequent performance of compulsive behaviors More than 3 and up to 8 hours/day or very frequent performance of compulsive behaviors More than 8 hours/day or near constant performance of compulsive behaviors (too numerous to count)

Please select your answer None Slight interference with social or other activities, but overall performance not impaired Definite interference with social or occupational performance, but still manageable Substantial interference in social or occupational performance Extreme, incapacitating interference

Please select your answer Not at all anxious Only slightly anxious if compulsions prevented Anxiety would mount but remain manageable if compulsions prevented Prominent and very disturbing increase in anxiety if compulsions interrupted Extreme, incapacitating anxiety from any intervention aimed at reducing compulsions

Please select your answer Always try to resist (or the symptoms are so minimal there is no need to actively resist them) Try to resist most of the time (e.g., more than half of the time) Make some effort to resist Yield to all compulsions without attempting to control them, but with some reluctance Completely and willingly yield to all compulsions

Please select your answer Complete control Pressure to perform behavior; usually able to stop with some effort and willpower Strong pressure to perform behavior; can control it only with difficulty Very strong drive to perform behavior; must be carried to completion, can only delay with difficulty Drive to perform behavior is involuntary and overwhelming; rarely able to even momentarily delay activity