[Validation of the French version of the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale with anchor BPRS-E(A)].
BACKGROUND
The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale was initially developed as a rapid method to assess symptom change in psychiatric inpatients of various diagnoses. The original version was expanded to an 18-item version and thereafter to a 24-item version to increase sensitivity to a broader range of psychotic and affective symptoms. The latest version of the expanded 24- item BPRS provides probe questions and detailed anchor points for the ratings for each item.


RESULTS
Studies have shown the expanded and anchored 24-item BPRS to be a sensitive and effective measure of psychiatric symptoms with good interrater reliability that can be maintained over time. To our knowledge, there are eight published papers including factor analyses of the BPRS-E(A). While many similarities are evident between these studies, inconsistencies are apparent that may have been due to sample size, characteristics and / or methodological differences in the factor analysis computation. Among these studies, six provided a four-factor solution. There was no French version of this scale available.


METHODS
After its translation into French and back translation, we investigated the validity of the French BPRS-E(A) version. We carried out a component analysis on the data of 111 participants of various diagnoses, mostly hospitalised for a first psychotic episode, yielding to a three-factor solution (positive symptoms--disorganisation; depression-anxiety and negative symptoms).


RESULTS
A good internal consistency and interrater reliability were found. These results confirm the psychometric value of the BPRS-E(A) in its French version. We compared those findings to earlier reports; similarities and differences are discussed.
Mouaffak
F
F
Inserm U894, Laboratoire Physiopathologie de Maladies Psychiatriques, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, 75674 Paris cedex 14, France.
Morvan
Y
Y
Bannour
S
S
Chayet
M
M
Bourdel
M-C
MC
Thepaut
G
G
Kazes
M
M
Guelfi
J-D
JD
Millet
B
B
Olié
J-P
JP
Krebs
M-O
MO
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014175:Translating; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult