title: The Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale as a screening instrument for personality disorders in substance-dependent criminal offenders.
abstract: Personality disorders (PDs) are considered to be potential predictors of treatment outcome in substance-dependent patients and potential treatment matching variables. There is a need for a brief and simple screening instrument for PDs that can be used in routine psychological assessment, especially in a treatment setting for previously substance-dependent criminal offenders, where a high prevalence of PDs is expected. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), a commonly used screening interview for PDs, in a population of inpatient criminal offenders with a history of substance dependence. Various statistical procedures were used to establish reliability and validity measures, such as Kuder-Richardson 20, confirmative factor analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis and multitrait multimethod matrix. The SAPAS was administered to 101 inpatient criminal offenders with a history of substance dependence at baseline. Within three weeks, participants were administered the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality in order to assess the presence of PDs. Results show limited evidence to make firm conclusions on the psychometric qualities of the SAPAS as a screening instrument for comorbid PDs in a substance dependence treatment setting for criminal offenders. Suggestions for improvement concerning the psychometric qualities of the SAPAS as a screening instrument for this population are noted.
authors.affiliation: Triple-Ex & Remise, Palier, Parnassiabavogroup, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brigitte P M
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Katinka F M
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Damen
authors.forename: Tonko O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Sietske L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Vellema
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000592:standards*; D009426:Netherlands; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome