Clinical characteristics of adolescents with body-focused repetitive behavior disorder and a validity-reliability study of the generic body-focused repetitive behavior scale-8 (GBS-8)


Ermis D. K., Aydın E. P.

Current Psychology, cilt.44, sa.17, ss.14422-14434, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 44 Sayı: 17
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12144-025-08206-y
  • Dergi Adı: Current Psychology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, BIOSIS, Psycinfo
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.14422-14434
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescents, Body-focused repetitive behaviors, Comorbidity, Impairment scale validity
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Despite growing research interest in body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) among children and adolescents, knowledge about this age group remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of adolescents diagnosed with body-focused repetitive behavior disorder (BFRBD) and to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Generic Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Scale-8 (GBS-8) as a comprehensive assessment tool for BFRBDs. This study included 109 adolescents aged 12–18 years: 70 with BFRBDs seeking treatment at a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic, and 39 healthy controls. All participants completed the Sociodemographic Data Form, the GBS-8, the Level 2-Repetitive Thoughts and Behaviors-Child Age 11–17 scale (L2-RTB 11–17), the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief (BIS-Brief). Additionally, a semi-structured clinical interview based on DSM-5 criteria was conducted by a physician. Factor analysis supported a two-factor structure of the GBS-8, representing symptom severity and functional impairment. Among adolescents with BFRBDs, 88.6% had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder, and two-thirds exhibited multiple types of repetitive behaviors. The group was predominantly female. The GBS-8 demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with high internal consistency and construct validity. A cut-off score of > 7 effectively differentiated between clinical and control groups, with high sensitivity and specificity. Adolescents with BFRBD often present with high psychiatric comorbidity and multiple forms of repetitive behavior. The GBS-8 is a brief, valid, and reliable instrument that can assist in the screening and assessment of BFRBDs in this population.