Factor structure of the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) is a widely used tool for assessing psychiatric symptoms.
• Understanding the factor structure of the expanded BPRS is crucial for accurate symptom assessment in clinical populations.
• Homeless individuals with severe mental illness represent a vulnerable population requiring reliable assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factor structure of the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).
• To examine the reliability and validity of the BPRS factor structure in a sample of homeless individuals with severe mental illness.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed using the Oblique Multiple Group method.
• The study sample comprised homeless individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness.
• Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each factor.

Main Results:

• The confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor solution for the expanded BPRS, consistent with previous findings for the original BPRS.
• The identified factors were: Thinking Disorder, Withdrawal, Anxiety-Depression, Hostility-Suspicion, and Activity.
• Reliability, indicated by alpha coefficients, was good for four factors (.73–.81) but low for the Hostility-Suspicion factor (.49).

Conclusions:

• The expanded BPRS demonstrates a stable five-factor structure in severely mentally ill homeless individuals.
• While generally reliable, the Hostility-Suspicion subscale may require further investigation or modification for this population.
• The findings support the continued use of the BPRS for symptom assessment in this clinical group, with a note of caution regarding the Hostility-Suspicion factor.