Search results for "PSYCHOPATHOLOGY"

Evaluation of standardized rater training for the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

1998

The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is employed increasingly for the evaluation of therapeutic outcome in studies on schizophrenia. Rater training is important to improve the concordance and accuracy of ratings; however, there are no established guidelines for carrying out such training. We conducted rater training, under clinical conditions, of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists who were rather unfamiliar with the PANSS. Based on videotapes of PANSS interviews, all participants were trained during five successive standardized weekly sessions. The results were analyzed with respect to conventional criteria of concordance with standard expert ratings and interrater reliabi…

The association between psychopathological aspects and CT measurements in affective disorders.

1988

Subtyping treatment-seeking gaming disorder patients

2021

Abstract Background and aims Gaming Disorder (GD) is characterized by a pattern of persistent and uncontrolled gaming behavior that causes a marked impairment in important areas of functioning. The evolution of the worldwide incidence of this disorder warrants further studies focused on examining the existence of different subtypes within clinical samples, in order to tailor treatment. This study explored the existence of different profiles of patients seeking treatment for GD through a data-driven approach. Methods The sample included n = 107 patients receiving treatment for GD (92% men and 8% women) ranging between 14 and 60 years old (mean age = 24.1, SD = 10). A two-step clustering anal…

Cross-validation of the SCL-27: a short psychometric screening instrument for chronic pain patients

2001

We constructed a short multidimensional screening instrument for chronic pain patients based on the items contained in the Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The proposed dimensional structure of the SCL-90-R was recently shown to be irreproducible in chronic pain patients. As a consequence, the use of the Global Severity Index (GSI) was recommended, although it did not capture all information contained in the many items of the SCL-90-R. Based on an exploratory factor analysis, a six-dimensional structure using 27 items from the SCL-90-R was explored utilizing the data of 2780 chronic pain patients. A short form was prospectively tested on 581 patients in the same setting. Criteria f…

Mafia and psychopathy.

2014

Background In popular culture, Mafia members are often portrayed as ruthless, callous and remorseless, but there is no empirical research on their personality traits. Aims The goal of this research was to examine levels of psychopathic traits among Mafia members who have been convicted of a criminal offence. Methods The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) rated 30 Italian adult male prisoners who had been convicted for Mafia-related crimes (86% resident in one 6-month period) and 39 next adjacent convicted men who were not enrolled in any criminal organisation. Results Mafia members obtained lower PCL-R total scores, interpersonal and affective (PCL-R factor 1) scores and lifestyle scores…

Estimation of the dimensionality of sleep-EEG data in schizophrenics

1993

Deterministic chaos could be regarded as a healthy flexibility of the human brain necessary for correct neuronal operations. Several investigations have demonstrated that in healthy subjects the dimensionality of REM sleep is much higher than that of slow wave sleep (SWS). We investigated the sleep-EEG of schizophrenic patients with methods from nonlinear system theory in order to estimate the dynamic properties of CNS. We hypothesized that schizophrenics would reveal alterations of their dynamic EEG features indicating impaired information processing. In 11 schizophrenic patients, the EEG's dimensionality during sleep stages II and REM was reduced. We suggest that such lower dimensional ch…

Correlates of Symptom Dimensions in Schizophrenia Obtained with the Spanish Version of the Manchester Scale

2000

In the last decade, a significant number of studies have been published which suggest a multifactorial psychopathological structure in schizophrenia. Seventy-eight acute and chronic schizophrenic patients diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria were studied with the Manchester Scale, Premorbid Adjustment Scale, Family History-RDC Interview, Digit Span, Mini-Mental State and computerized tomography (CT). A factorial analysis of the symptoms as recorded with the Spanish version of the Manchester Scale was carried out. Three factors (‘positive’, ‘negative’ and ‘disorganization’) accounted for 79% of the total variance. Poor premorbid adjustment was associated with high scores for the ‘…

A psychopathological study of a group of schizophrenic patients after attempting suicide. Are there two different clinical subtypes?

2003

AbstractFifty-six schizophrenic patients at the moment of their suicidal attempt were compared to a control group of 60 patients. Schizophrenic suicidal attempters showed an identifiable clinical profile at the acute phase. Two main groups could be differentiated in regard to their reasons (depressive or psychotic) for attempting suicide.

Perceived coercion to enter treatment among involuntarily and voluntarily admitted patients with substance use disorders

2016

Background Perceived coercion is a sense of pressure related to the experience of being referred to treatment. The sense of pressure arises from the patient’s internal perception of coercion. The sources of coercion may be the legal system, the family, the health system, or self-criticism (internal sources). Here, we studied patients diagnosed with substance use disorders that were involuntarily admitted to hospital, pursuant to a social services act. We sought to determine whether these patients perceived coercion differently than patients that were admitted voluntarily. Methods This study included patients admitted to combined substance use disorder and psychiatry wards in three publicly …

Utility of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II in schizophrenia.

2011

The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) was developed for assessing disability. This study provides data on the validity and utility of the Spanish version of the WHODAS II in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia.The sample included 352 patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. They completed a comprehensive assessment battery including measures of psychopathology, functionality and quality-of-life. A sub-sample of 36 patients was retested after six months to assess its temporal stability.Participation in society (6.3%) and Life activities (4.0%) were the domains with the highest percentage of missing data. The internal consistency (Cronba…