Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD

Abstract Background and objectives Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is recognized globally as a serious mental health concern among children and adolescents. Accurate early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for effective management and improving patient outcomes. The primary objective of thi...

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Main Authors: Rongkun Su, Xu Hong, Hanxue Yang, Wanling Zhang, Na Hu, Xiuzhen Wang, Ying Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06724-4
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author Rongkun Su
Xu Hong
Hanxue Yang
Wanling Zhang
Na Hu
Xiuzhen Wang
Ying Li
author_facet Rongkun Su
Xu Hong
Hanxue Yang
Wanling Zhang
Na Hu
Xiuzhen Wang
Ying Li
author_sort Rongkun Su
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background and objectives Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is recognized globally as a serious mental health concern among children and adolescents. Accurate early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for effective management and improving patient outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of the Child Behavior Checklist-Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CBCL-OCS) in Chinese children and adolescents, ensuring its cultural adaptability. The secondary objective was to explore the clinical characteristics of OCD, including prevalence, symptom severity, and comorbidities. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among 8,595 middle school students in Liaoning Province, China. The CBCL-OCS was employed as the primary screening tool. The optimal cutoff value for OCD screening was determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The study found an OCD prevalence of 1.710%, which was consistent with the global estimation. ROC analysis determined a cutoff score of 2.5 for CBCL-OCS, with a sensitivity of 0.789 and a specificity of 0.899. Furthermore, adolescents exhibited significantly higher CBCL-OCS scores compared to younger children, suggesting an increase in OCD severity with age. Significant associations were also found between OCD symptoms and comorbid emotional disorders, behavioral problems, and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions This study confirms the utility of CBCL-OCS as an effective early screening tool for OCD in Chinese middle school students, highlighting its sensitivity and specificity, and cultural adaptability. Results contributed valuable insights to the epidemiology of OCD among children and adolescents, underscoring the need for targeted interventions during critical developmental periods, especially in adolescence.
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spelling doaj-art-dcd33527cdee418c800eae0acafa4ca72025-08-20T03:10:08ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-04-0125111010.1186/s12888-025-06724-4Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCDRongkun Su0Xu Hong1Hanxue Yang2Wanling Zhang3Na Hu4Xiuzhen Wang5Ying Li6Shenyang Mental Health Center, Mental Health Management CenterCloud Services Innovation Laboratory, Institute of Intelligent Science and Technology, China Electronics Technology Group CorporationSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture UniversityDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s HealthDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s HealthShenyang Mental Health Center, Mental Health Management CenterDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s HealthAbstract Background and objectives Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is recognized globally as a serious mental health concern among children and adolescents. Accurate early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for effective management and improving patient outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of the Child Behavior Checklist-Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CBCL-OCS) in Chinese children and adolescents, ensuring its cultural adaptability. The secondary objective was to explore the clinical characteristics of OCD, including prevalence, symptom severity, and comorbidities. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among 8,595 middle school students in Liaoning Province, China. The CBCL-OCS was employed as the primary screening tool. The optimal cutoff value for OCD screening was determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The study found an OCD prevalence of 1.710%, which was consistent with the global estimation. ROC analysis determined a cutoff score of 2.5 for CBCL-OCS, with a sensitivity of 0.789 and a specificity of 0.899. Furthermore, adolescents exhibited significantly higher CBCL-OCS scores compared to younger children, suggesting an increase in OCD severity with age. Significant associations were also found between OCD symptoms and comorbid emotional disorders, behavioral problems, and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions This study confirms the utility of CBCL-OCS as an effective early screening tool for OCD in Chinese middle school students, highlighting its sensitivity and specificity, and cultural adaptability. Results contributed valuable insights to the epidemiology of OCD among children and adolescents, underscoring the need for targeted interventions during critical developmental periods, especially in adolescence.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06724-4Children and adolescentsOCDCBCL-OCSEpidemiology
spellingShingle Rongkun Su
Xu Hong
Hanxue Yang
Wanling Zhang
Na Hu
Xiuzhen Wang
Ying Li
Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
BMC Psychiatry
Children and adolescents
OCD
CBCL-OCS
Epidemiology
title Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
title_full Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
title_fullStr Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
title_short Evaluating the diagnostic validity of CBCL-OCS in Chinese children and adolescents with OCD
title_sort evaluating the diagnostic validity of cbcl ocs in chinese children and adolescents with ocd
topic Children and adolescents
OCD
CBCL-OCS
Epidemiology
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06724-4
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