brief psychiatric rating scale

Takes 18 minutes by trained interviewer. Indications: - rapid assessment of global psychiatric symptoms especially sutied to evaluation of clinical change Method: 16 item 7-point ordered category rating scale Questions are completed in 2-3 minutes following the interview Inter-rater reliability correlation 0.56-0.87 Scale: (for each item) - Not present - Very mild - Mild - Moderate - Moderate, severe - Severe - Extremely severe Procedure: 1) Somatic concern a) degree of concern over present bodily health b) rate the degree to which physical health is perceived as a problem by the patient, whether complaints have a realistic component or not 2) Anxiety a) worry, fear or over-concern for present or future b) rate soley on the basis of verbal report of patient's own subjective feelings c) do not infer anxiety form physical signs or from neurotic defense mechanisms 3) Emotional withdrawal* a) deficiency in relating to the interviewer & the interview b) rate only degree to which the patient gives the impression of failing to be in emotional contact with other people in the interview situation 4) Conceptual disorganization a) degree to which the thought processes are confused, disconnected or disorganized b) rate on the basis of integration of the speech; do not rate on the basis of patient's subjective impression of his/her own level of functioning 5) Guilt feelings a) over-concern or remorse for past behavior b) rate on the basis of patient's subjective experiences or guilt c) do not infer guilt feelings from depression, anxiety or neurotic defenses 6) Tension* a) physical & motor manifestations of tension, nervousness, & heightened vigilence b) rate soly on the basis of physical signs & motor behavior, not on the bases of subjective experiences of tension reported by the patient 7) Mannerisms & posturing* a) unusual & unnatural motor behavior b) rate only abnormality of movements, not simple heightened motor activity 8) Grandiosity a) exaggerated self-opinion, conviction of unusual abilities or powers b) rate only on the basis of patient's statements about his/her relation with others, not on the basis of demeanor during the interview 9) Depressive mood a) despondency in mood, sadness b) rate only the degree of despondency c) do not rate on the basis of inference from psychomotor retardation & somatic complaints 10) Hostility a) animosity, contempt, belligerence, disdain for other people outside the interview b) rate solely on the basis of the verbal report of feelings & actions of the patient towards others c) do not infer hostility from neurotic defenses, anxiety or somatic complaints 11) Suspiciousness a) belief (delusional or otherwise) that others have or have had malicious or discrimatory intent toward the patient b) rate on the basis of verbal report c) rate only those suspicions which are current whether they concern past or present circumstances 12) Hallucinatory behavior a) perceptions without corresponding normal external stimuli b) rate only experiences with are reported to have occurred within the last week & which are described distinctly different from thought or imagery of normal people 13) Motor retardation* a) reduction in energy level evidenced by slowed movements & speech, reduced body tone, decreased number of movements b) rate on the basis of observed behavior of the patient c) do not rate on the basis of the patient's subjective impression of his/her energy level 14) Uncooperativeness* a) evidence of resistance, unfriendliness, resentment, & lack of readiness to cooperate with the interviewer b) rate only on the basis of the patient's attitude & responses to the interviewer & interview c) do not rate on the basis of reported resentment of uncooperativeness outside the interview 15) Unusual thought process a) unusual, odd, strange or bizarre thought content b) rate the degree of unusualness, not the degree of disorganization of thought processes 16) Blunted affect a) reduced emotional tone b) apparent lack of normal feeling or involvement * Ratings are divided into those based on 1) *observation of the patient (tension, emotional withdrawal, mannnerisms & posturing, motor retardation, uncooperativeness) 2) all others based on verbal report

References

Overall JE & Gorhan DR, Psychological Reports 10:799, 1962