Y-BOCS SYMPTOM CHECKLIST (9/89)

Check all that apply, but clearly mark the principal symptoms with a "P", (Rater must ascertain whether reported
behaviors are bona fide symptoms of OCD, and not symptoms of another disorder such as Simple Phobia or
Hypochondriasis. Items marked "*" may or may not be OCD phenomena.)

AGGRESSIVE OBSESSIONS

Current Pas Examples

1. Fear might harm self t Fear of eating with a knife or fork, fear of
handling sharp objects, fear of walking near
glass windows.
2. Fear might harm others Fear of poisoning other people’s food, fear of
harming babies, fear of pushing someone in front of
a train, fear of hurting someone’s feelings, fear of
being responsible by not providing assistance for
some imagined catastrophe, fear of causing harm
by bad advice.
3. Violent or horrific images Images of murders, dismembered bodies, or
other disgusting scenes.
4. Fear of blurting out Fear of shouting obscenities in public situations
obscenities or insults like church, fear of writing obscenities.
5. Fear of doing something Fear of appearing foolish in social situations
else embarrassing *
6. Fear will act on Fear of driving a car into a tree, fear of
unwanted impulses running someone over, fear of stabbing a
friend.
7. Fear will steal things Fear of “cheating” a cashier, fear of shoplifting
inexpensive items.
8. Fear will harm others Fear of causing an accident without being aware of
because not careful enough it (such as a hit-and-run automobile accident).
9. Fear will be responsible Fear of causing a fire or burglary because of not
for something else being careful enough in checking the house before
terrible happening leaving.
10.Other: _

CONTAMINATION OBSESSIONS
Current Past Examples
11. Concerns or disgust with Fear of contracting AIDS, cancer, or other diseases
bodily waste or secretions. from public rest rooms; fears of your own saliva,
urine, feces, semen, or vaginal secretions.
12. Concern with dirt or germs. Fear of picking up germs from sitting in certain
chairs, shaking hands, or toughing door handles.
13. Excessive concern with Fear of being contaminated by asbestos or radon,
environmental fear of radioactive substances, fear of things
contaminants. associated with towns containing toxic waste
sights.
14.Excessive concern Fear of poisonous kitchen or bathroom
with household items cleansers, solvents, Insect spray or turpentine.
15. Excessive concern Fear of being contaminated by touching an
with animals. insect, dog, cat, or other animal.
16.Bothered by sticky Fear of adhesive tape or other sticky substances
substances or residues that may trap contaminants.
17.Concerned I will get ill Fear of getting ill as a direct result of being
because of contaminant contaminated (beliefs vary about how long
the disease will take to appear.
18.Concerned I will get others ill Fear of touching other people or preparing their
by spreading contaminant food after you touch poisonous substances (like
(Aggressive) gasoline) or after you touch your own body.
19.Other: _

SEXUAL OBSESSIONS

Current Pas Examples

t
20.I have forbidden or Unwanted sexual thoughts about strangers, family,
perverse sexual thoughts, or friends.
images, or impulses
21.Content involves children Unwanted thoughts about sexually molesting
or incest either your own children or other children.
22.Content involves Worries like “Am I a homosexual?” or “What if I
homosexuality suddenly become gay?” when there is no basis
* for these thoughts.
23. Aggressive sexual Unwanted images of violent sexual behavior
behavior toward others. * toward adult strangers, friends, or family
members.
24.Other: _

Hoarding / Saving Obsessions

Distinguish from hobbies and Current Pas Examples

concern with objects of monetary or t
sentimental value.
25. I have obsessions Wo r r i e s a b o u t t h r o w i n g a w a y s e e m i n g l y
about hoarding or unimportant things that you might need in the
saving things. future, urges to pick up and collect useless things.

RELIGIOUS OBSESSIONS

Current Pas Examples

t
26.(Scrupulosity) Concerned Worries about having blasphemous thoughts,
with sacrilege and saying blasphemous things, or being punished for
blasphemy such things.
27. Excess concern with Worries abut always doing “the right thing”,
right/wrong, morality. having told a lie, or having cheated someone.
28.Other: _
OBSESSION WITH NEED FOR SYMMETRY OR EXACTNESS
Current Pas Examples
29.(Accompanied by magical t Worries about papers and books being properly
thinking (c.x., concerned aligned, worries about calculations or
the mother will have an handwriting being perfect.
accident unless things are
in the right place)
Obsessions about
symmetry or exactness
30.Not accompanied by
magical thinking

MISCELLANEOUS OBSESSIONS

Current Pas Examples

31.Need to know or t Belief that you need to remember insignificant
remember certain things things like license plate numbers, the names of
actors on television shows, old telephone
numbers, bumper sticker or t-shirt slogans.
32.Fear of saying certain things Fear of saying certain words (such as “thirteen”)
because of superstitions, fear of saying something
tat might be disrespectful to a dead person, fear of
using words with an apostrophe (because this
denotes possession).
33.Fear of not saying just the Fear of having said the wrong thing, fear of not
right thing using the “perfect” word.
34.Fear of losing things Worries about losing a wallet or other
unimportant objects, like a scrap of note paper.
35.Intrusive (non-violent) images Random unwanted images in your mind.

36. Intrusive nonsense Words, songs, or music in your mind that you
sounds, words, or music. can’t stop.
37.Bothered by Worries about the sounds of clocks ticking loudly
certain sounds/ or voices in another room that may interfere with
noises * sleeping.
38.Lucky/unlucky numbers Worries about common numbers (like thirteen) that
may cause you to perform activities a certain
number of times or to postpone an action until a
certain lucky hour of the day.
39.Colors with special significance Fear of using objects of certain colors (e.g. black
may be associated with death, red with blood and
injury).
40.Superstitious fears Fear of passing a cemetery, hearse, or black cat;
fear of omens associated with death.
SOMATIC OBSESSIONS
Current Pas Examples
55.Concern with illness or disease t Worries that you have an illness like cancer,
* heart disease or AIDS, despite reassurance from
doctors that you do not.
41.Excessive concern with Worries that your face, ears, nose, eyes, or
body part or aspect of another part of your body is hideous, ugly,
appearance (e.g. despite reassurances to the contrary.
dysmorphophobia) *
42.Other _

CLEANING/WASHING COMPULSIONS

Current Pas Examples

43.Excessive or ritualized t Washing your hands many times a day or for
hand washing long periods of time after touching, or thinking
that you have touched a contaminated object.
This may include washing the entire length of
your arms.
44. Excessive or ritualized Taking showers or baths or performing other
showering, bathing, tooth bathroom routines that may last for several hours.
brushing, grooming, or If the sequence is interrupted the entire process
toilet routine. may have to be restarted.
45.Excessive or ritualized Excessive cleaning of faucets, toilets, floors,
cleaning of household items kitchen counters, or kitchen utensils.
or other inanimate objects
46.Other measures to prevent Asking family members to handle or remove
or remove contact with insecticides, garbage, gasoline cans, raw meat,
contaminants paints, varnish, drugs in the medicine cabinet, or
kitty litter. If you can’t avoid these things, you may
wear gloves to handle them, such as when using a
self- service gasoline pump.
47.Other _

CHECKING COMPULSIONS

Current Pas Examples

48.Checking locks, t Washing your hands many times a day or for
stove, appliances, long periods of time after touching, or thinking
etc. that you have touched a contaminated object.
This may include washing the entire length of
your arms.
49. Checking that did not/will Checking that you haven’t hurt someone
not harm others. without knowing it. You may ask other for
reassurance or telephone to make sure that
everything is all right
50.Checking that did not/will Looking for injuries or bleeding after handling sharp
not harm self or breakable objects. You may frequently go to
doctors to ask for reassurance that you haven’t hurt
yourself.
51.Checking that nothing Searching the newspaper or listening to the radio or
terrible did/will happen television for news about some catastrophe that you
believe you caused. You may also ask people for
reassurance that you didn’t cause an accident.
SOMATIC OBSESSIONS
52.Checking that did not Repeated checking of door locks, stoves, electrical
make mistake outlets, before leaving home; repeated checking
while reading, writing, or doing simple calculations
to make sure that you didn’t make a mistake (you
can’t be certain that you didn’t).
53.Checking tied to Seeking reassurance from friends or doctors that
somatic obsessions you aren’t having a heart attack or getting cancer;
repeatedly taking your pulse, blood pressure, or
temperature; checking yourself for body odors;
checking your appearance in a mirror, looking for
ugly features.
54.Other _

REPEATING COMPULSIONS

Current Pas Examples

55.Re-reading or re-writing t Taking hours to read a few pages in a book or to
write a short letter because you get caught in a
cycle of reading and rereading; worrying that you
didn’t understand something you just read;
searching for a “perfect” word or phrase; having
obsessive thoughts about the shape of certain
printed letters in a book.
56.Need to repeat routine Repeating activities like turning appliances on and
activities off, combing your hair, going in and out of a
doorway, or looking in a particular direction; not
feeling comfortable unless you do these things the
“right” number of times.
57.Other

COUNTING COMPULSIONS

Current Pas Examples

58.Need to count and recount t Counting objects like ceiling or floor tiles, books in
a bookcase, nails in a wall, or even grains of sand
on a beach; counting when you repeat certain
activities, like washing.

ORDERING / ARRANGING COMPULSIONS

Current Pas Examples

t
59. Need to order and reorder, Straightening paper and pens on a desktop or
arrange and rearrange books in a bookcase, sating hours arranging things
items. in your house in “order” and then becoming very
upset if this order is disturbed.

HOARDING / COLLECTING COMPULSIONS

Distinguish from hobbies and Current Pas Examples

concern with objects of monetary or t
sentimental value.
60. Compulsions to hoard or Saving old newspapers, notes, cans, paper towels,
collect things. wrappers, and empty bottles for fear that if you
throw them away you may one day need them;
picking up useless objects from the street or from
the garbage can.
MISCELLANEOUS COMPULSIONS
SOMATIC OBSESSIONS
Mental rituals other than Current Pas Examples
checking / counting. t
61. Mental rituals (other Performing rituals in your head, like saying prayers
than checking / or thinking a “good” thought to undo a “bad”
counting). thought.
These are different from obsessions because you
perform them intentionally to reduce anxiety or to
feel better.
62.Need to tell, ask, or confess Asking other people to reassure you, confessing
to wrong behaviors you never even did, believing
that you have to tell other people certain words
to feel better.
63.Need to touch, tap, or rub * Giving in to the urge to touch rough surfaces, like
wood, or hot surfaces, like a stove top; giving in to
the urge to lightly touch other people; believing you
need to touch an object like a telephone to prevent
an illness in your family.
64. Measures (not checking) Staying away from sharp or breakable objects,
to prevent harm or such as knives, scissors, and fragile glass.
terrible consequences to
myself or others.
65.Ritualized eating behaviors * Arranging your food, knife, and fork in a particular
order before being able to eat, eating according to
a strict ritual, not being able to eat until the hands
of a clock point exactly to a certain time.
66.Superstitious behaviors Not taking a bus or train if its number contains an
“unlucky” number (like thirteen), staying in your
house on the thirteenth of the month, throwing away
clothes you wore while passing a funeral home or
cemetery.
67.Hair pulling, Trichotillomania * Pulling hair from your scalp, eyelids, eyelashes, or
pubic areas, using your fingers or tweezers. You
may produce bald spot that require you to wear a
wig, or you may pluck your eyebrows or eyelids
smooth.
SOMATIC OBSESSIONS