Examining the psychometric properties of the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale in a sample of compulsive pornography users

Abstract

ObjectiveThe current study evaluated several psychometric properties of the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) (Goodman et al., 1989 [1]) adapted for compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) in a sample of 103 men seeking treatment at a private and a public university clinic in the United States. MethodMeasures of mental health functioning were collected from patients on two separate appointments: the initial screening and the follow-up appointment. ResultsAll patients reported using pornography compulsively, and approximately half of the sample also reported a history of having frequent anonymous sex with strangers. Results found that the adapted Y-BOCS had good internal consistency reliability, moderate mean inter-item correlations, and good test–retest reliability. Results from a multiple regression analysis also found that affect dysregulation (depression and anxiety), particularly among single, impaired men, was significantly associated with more severe sexual obsessive and compulsive features. Approximately 94% of the sample met criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, and 57% of men met criteria for two or more psychiatric disorders. ConclusionsFindings from the current study suggest the CSB-Y-BOCS is a reliable measure of obsessive and compulsive symptoms associated with CSB, and clinicians and researchers could use this scale to aid in the assessment and treatment of problematic sexual behaviors.