The Social Functioning Questionnaire: A Rapid and Robust Measure of Perceived Functioning.

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) is an 8-item self-report scale derived from the Social Functioning Schedule (SFS).
• The SFQ was developed to provide a rapid assessment of perceived social functioning.
• The SFS has demonstrated good reliability and validity in non-psychotic patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present comprehensive data on the Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) from over 4000 subjects.
• To illustrate the epidemiological and clinical associations of the SFQ.
• To validate the SFQ using new and existing datasets.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of new data from a national epidemiological study.
• Comparison of key-worker and subject versions of the SFQ.
• Reanalysis of data from clinical studies including psychiatric emergencies, general practice patients, and those with recurrent psychotic illnesses.

Main Results:

• A population mean SFQ score of 4.6 was observed in 4164 subjects; scores of 10+ suggest poor social functioning.
• Psychiatric emergency patients exhibited the lowest social function (mean 11.4), while general practice psychiatric patients had the highest (mean 7.7).
• SFQ scores showed stability over time and correlated with acute mental health disturbances and personality disorders, supporting scale validity. Social function was comparable across ethnic groups in a UK sample.

Conclusions:

• The SFQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing social functioning across diverse populations.
• The SFQ demonstrates utility in epidemiological research and clinical settings.
• A threshold score of 10 on the SFQ reliably indicates poor social functioning.