Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale)

The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, for children CY-BOCS) is a scale used to record obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In the 2021 S3 therapy guideline it appears as a measuring instrument in studies: in a randomised study of adolescents and adults with autism without intellectual disability and with an additional obsessive-compulsive disorder (46 participants), a reduction of at least 25 % on the Y-BOCS was counted as treatment success. ^{[1, Ch. C.7.5]} In a study of risperidone in children and adolescents, the CY-BOCS was used as an additional outcome measure. ^{[1, Ch. C.4.3]}

The scale measures obsessive-compulsive symptoms, not autism, and it is no substitute for professional assessment. How it is applied and scored in detail is not described in the passages we read. The guideline expired on 23.03.2026. ^[2] Background: Co-occurring conditions in autism.

Sources and literature

1. DGKJP/DGPPN et al.: Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen im Kindes-, Jugend- und Erwachsenenalter, Teil 2: Therapie. Interdisziplinäre S3-Leitlinie, AWMF-Reg.-Nr. 028-047, Langversion, Stand Text 02.05.2021. https://register.awmf.org/assets/guidelines/028-047l_S3_Autismus-Spektrum-Stoerungen-Kindes-Jugend-Erwachsenenalter-Therapie_2021-04_1.pdf
2. DGKJP: Aktuelle Leitlinien (Übersicht mit AWMF-Registernummer und Gültigkeitsdatum). https://www.dgkjp.de/wissen/aktuelle-leitlinien/