The Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version Survey Form does not demonstrate adequate psychometric properties in American youth with pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

The psychometric properties of the Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version Survey Form (LOI-CV Survey Form) and the Short Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version Survey Form (Short LOI-CV Survey Form) were examined in a clinical sample of 50 children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The internal consistency of the LOI-CV and Short LOI-CV Survey Forms were acceptable and poor, respectively (α = .79 and .65). The LOI-CV Survey Form was significantly and moderately correlated with child-rated OCD-related impairment, but was not significantly correlated with any other measures of OCD symptom frequency or severity, OCD-related impairment, global symptom severity, child reports of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and parent reports of children's obsessive-compulsive, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms. Modest support for the cognitive-behavioral treatment sensitivity of the LOI-CV Survey Form (Cohen's d = 0.98) but not the Short LOI-CV Survey Form (Cohen's d = 0.09) was demonstrated. Diagnostic sensitivity was poor for the LOI-CV Survey Form at both pre- (0.14) and post-treatment (0.06). Overall, these results suggest that the psychometric properties of the LOI-CV and Short LOI-CV Survey Forms are not adequate for use as a screening instrument or in assessing symptom severity in pediatric OCD.

Research highlights
► The internal consistency was acceptable for the LOI-CV Survey Form, poor for the Short LOI-CV Survey Form, and poor for the factorially derived subscales of the LOI-CV Surveys.
► Limited convergent and divergent validity support for the LOI-CV Survey Form was found.
► Modest support for the cognitive-behavioral treatment sensitivity of the LOI-CV Survey Form but not the Short LOI-CV Survey Form was demonstrated.
► The psychometric properties of the LOI-CV and Short LOI-CV Survey Forms are not adequate as a screening instrument or in assessing OCD symptom severity.