Measuring community functioning in schizophrenia with the Social Behaviour Schedule.
BACKGROUND
Current emphasis on community integration requires reliable and valid measures of social behaviour; existing assessments largely overlap with symptoms or provide little detail on functioning. This study aims to re-assess the Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS) to fulfil this measurement role.


METHODS
Internal consistency, construct validity and test-retest reliability were investigated in 421 community out-patients with schizophrenia. Concurrent validity was assessed against the Life Skill Profile (LSP), in 143 additional patients.


RESULTS
A 17-item SBS supported the construct validity of four factors: Antisocial Behaviour, Depressed Behaviour, Social Withdrawal and Thought Disturbance. It showed good test-retest reliability and rated significant social behaviour in a community sample. Weak correlations were observed with positive and negative symptoms. With the exception of Depressed Behaviour, the SBS factors showed strong correlations with the LSP.


CONCLUSIONS
SBS-17 is a valid measure assessing relevant community social functioning factors with relatively few items. The SBS could be useful both in research and in clinical settings.
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
Matteo
M
Cella
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK; Department of Mental Health, ASL 1, L'Aquila, Italy.
Paolo
P
Stratta
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Kamel
K
Chahal
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK.
Vyv
V
Huddy
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
Clare
C
Reeder
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
Til
T
Wykes
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior
Assessment; Functioning; Psychosis; Schizophrenia; Social behaviour