Validity and reliability of the French-language version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the French-language version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).


METHODS
The validity and reliability of the PANSS were studied in a population of 342 patients diagnosed as schizophrenic according to DSM-III-R criteria.


RESULTS
The study of the internal consistency and principal-component analysis of the initial structure with three subscales (positive, negative and general psychopathology) led us to investigate other factorial structures. We isolated a 5-factor structure (negative, positive, hostility, disorganization and anxiety/depression) explaining 57.5% of the total variance. The internal consistency of the 5 factors isolated was good (0.87 for the negative factor, 0.82 for the positive factor, 0.78 for the hostility factor, 0.71 for the disorganization factor and 0.68 for the anxiety/depression factor, respectively). The validity study on the external criteria confirmed the relationship between the negative and anxiety/depression factors and the extrapyramidal symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The stability of the PANSS factorial warrants discussion.
Lançon
C
C
Department of Psychiatry, CHU Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France.
Reine
G
G
Llorca
P M
PM
Auquier
P
P
D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014177:Translations