Children's Florida Obsessive Compulsive Inventory: psychometric properties and feasibility of a self-report measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in youth

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2009 Sep;40(3):467-83. doi: 10.1007/s10578-009-0138-9. Epub 2009 Mar 27.

Abstract

This report describes the development and psychometric properties of the Children's Florida Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (C-FOCI). Designed specifically as a brief measure for assessing obsessive-compulsive symptoms, the C-FOCI was created for use in both clinical and community settings. Study 1 included 82 children and adolescents diagnosed with primary Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and their parents. The Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) was administered to assess symptom severity. Thereafter, parents completed the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale-Parent Version and Child Behavior Checklist, and youth completed the C-FOCI, Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale-Child Version, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and Children's Depression Inventory-Short Form. A subgroup of 21 individuals was retested with the C-FOCI after completing 14 sessions of intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy. Construct validity of the C-FOCI was supported vis-à-vis evidence of treatment sensitivity, and moderate relations with clinician-rated symptom severity, the CY-BOCS Symptom Checklist, child- and parent-rated functional impairment, child-rated anxiety, and parent-rated internalizing symptoms. Discriminant validity was evidenced by weak relationships with parent-reports of externalizing symptoms. For Study 2, 191 non-clinical adolescents completed the C-FOCI to assess the feasibility of internet administration. Overall, internal consistency was acceptable for the C-FOCI Symptom Checklist and Severity Scale, and respondents were able to complete the measure with little difficulty. Taken together, the findings of Studies 1 and 2 provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the C-FOCI for the assessment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology*
  • Compulsive Behavior / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Male
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Personality Inventory
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychometrics* / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / classification