Development of a Short Leyton Obsessional Inventory for Children and Adolescents

Objective: To develop a short, cost-effective screening measure for adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method: The 20-item Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire were completed by five groups of adolescents: those with a predominant diagnosis of OCD (n = 9), major depressive disorder with comorbid OCD ( n = 14), major depressive disorder without comorbid OCD ( n = 65), a community sample including subjects at high risk for psychopathology ( n = 253), and well controls ( n= 50). Leyton Obsessional Inventory scores for the community sample ( n= 253) were factor analyzed, whereas the remaining groups' scores served as validation.

Results: Factor analysis yielded a robust 11-item solution with three distinct components accounting for 47.6% of total variance. Internal reliability was high for the short scale total (Cronbach alpha =.86) and three subscales: Compulsions (alpha =.73), Obsessions/Incompleteness (alpha =.79), and Cleanliness (alpha =.75). Logistic regression found the Compulsions subscale discriminated OCD cases from community controls and discriminated major depressive disorder with and without comorbid OCD. The Obsessions subscale discriminated OCD cases from community, well control, and depressed nonobsessional groups.

Conclusions: The Short Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version is a psychometrically sound, quick, economical screen that discriminates OCD cases from noncases irrespective of comorbid major depressive disorder.