title: Meta-analysis of the brief psychiatric rating scale factor structure.
abstract: A meta-analysis (N=17,620; k=26) of factor analyses of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was conducted. Analysis of the 12 items from Overall et al.'s (J. E. Overall, L. E. Hollister, & P. Pichot, 1974) 4 subscales found support for his 4 subscales. Analysis of all 18 BPRS items found 4 components similar to those of Overall et al. In a 5-component solution, a 5th activation component emerged but was best supported among samples of schizophrenic patients. The first 4 components appear to form the core of the BPRS factor structure. Results of the meta-analysis suggest 5 subscales (with items in parentheses): Affect (anxiety, guilt, depression, somatic); Positive Symptoms (thought content, conceptual disorganization, hallucinatory behavior, grandiosity); Negative Symptoms (blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, motor retardation); Resistance (hostility, uncooperativeness, suspiciousness); and Activation (excitement, tension, mannerisms-posturing).
authors.affiliation: Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin, TX 78711-3247, USA. alan.shafer@hhsc.state.tx.us
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafer
mesh_terms: D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results