Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can occur during the peripartum period when obsessions are mainly focused on the baby. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is considered the “golden standard” for the assessment of severity of OCD symptoms. Previous studies revealed different factor structures of the Y-BOCS. However, this scale has not been validated on a Croatian sample or during pregnancy, making it the aim of this cross-sectional study which involved 569 pregnant women who were, on average, 35.4 weeks pregnant. In order to examine the divergent validity, in addition to Y-BOCS, the participants filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Anxiety subscale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Pregnancy Concerns Scale (PCS). The 1-factor, 2-factor, 3-factor, higher order, and bifactor models of the questionnaire have been established in the literature, which is why we examined them using confirmatory factor analysis. The best fit to the data based on empirical indicators and theoretical expectations was obtained in the higher-order factor model with two second-order factors: obsessions and compulsions. Reliability was high. Divergent validity, examined by correlations with depressive symptoms, general anxiety, and pregnancy-specific anxiety, was acceptable. The Y-BOCS revealed good psychometric properties in the sample of Croatian pregnant women. The total scale and two subscales could be used in the peripartum period to screen for OCD symptoms.