Standardised Assessment Of Personality-Abbreviated Scale Research Articles

Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the standardised assessment of personality abbreviated scale.

This study was undertaken to translate the Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) into Japanese and to evaluate its validity and reliability. SAPAS is one of the most rapid tools for assessing personality disorder (PD) and has excellent sensitivity and good specificity, whereas other PD assessment tools require such a significant investment of time that they are infeasible for large surveys or routine clinical practice. Customary assessment in clinical practice ideally incorporates screening for PD, as it is associated with a substantial public health burden, including premature mortality and increased health service utilization. Furthermore, PD's status as a key prognostic variable of mental disorders also drives PD screening. While SAPAS has been translated into several languages, there has been no Japanese version. Therefore, we translated SAPAS into Japanese (SAPAS-J) and evaluated its reliability and validity. Study 1 recruited undergraduates to reveal its test-retest reliability. Although its internal consistency was not high, since the intent of the original SAPAS was to assess the broad character of personality disorder with the fewest possible items, minimal correlations between items were reasonable. We tested two factorial models, the single-factor model and the higher-order-single-factor model, and the latter offered better fitting. This higher-order model contained a three-factor structure corresponding to clusters described in DSM-5. It measures general PD traits as a common higher-order latent variable comprising those factors. Correlations of SAPAS-J with the much longer PD screening questionnaire in Study 1 and depressive and anxiety symptoms in Study 2 from the general population support its validity. Although validation for the clinical use of SAPAS-J is limited, our research with non-clinical populations demonstrated sufficient validity to justify its use in the context of psychopathological analog research. Since PD is understood as a continuum, the severity of which is distributed dimensionally, the analog study recruiting from the general population and attempting to reveal psychopathological mechanisms of PD is meaningful.

Psychometric analysis of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) and determinants of psychopathology in two outpatient clinics in Navarre (Spain).

The self-report Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire PDSQ is designed to screen Axis I psychiatric disorders. We aim to determine its psychometric properties in Spanish outpatients and assess its relationship with two interviews (for psychopathology and for personality disorders) and clinical/demographic variables. We administered the study questionnaire, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI-Plus), the Standardised Assessment of Personality Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), and the List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire (LTE-Q) to 375 patients at two public outpatient centres. Reliability of the study questionnaire was evaluated (Cronbach's alpha, ?) and known-group validity measured by comparing groups based on demographic and clinical variables (binary logistic regression analysis) and MINI-Plus diagnoses (Mann-Whitney U). The diagnostic accuracy of the study questionnaire score was analysed taking the MINI-Plus diagnoses as the gold standard (ROC analysis). Internal consistency was adequate across all PDSQ scales (? >0.7; mean ?=0.85). Known-group comparisons were satisfactory. Female and male patients showed higher prevalence of internalizing and externalizing diagnoses, respectively. Younger age, more life events and limitations, higher SAPAS scores, and lower economic levels were linked to a greater number of PDSQ diagnoses. Inter-group differences were found for all PDSQ scales based on the corresponding MINI-Plus diagnoses. Mean values of sensitivity, AUC, and negative predictive value were 88.7, 0.82, and 96.7, respectively. When applied to a sample of Spanish outpatients, the PDSQ exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties and adequate relationships with the psychopathology and personality interviews, and clinical and demographic variables. The study questionnaire is suitable for assessing comorbidity and psychopathology dimensions.

Is a brief screen for personality disorder clinically useful for the detection of impairment in personality functioning in adolescents?

The Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) has been used extensively to screen for personality disorders (PD), including adolescents. Yet, it is unclear how well the SAPAS performs in screening for impairment in personality functioning (IPF), Criterion A of the alternative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition model for PD (AMPD) in adolescent samples. We examined the performance of the SAPAS in detecting IPF at a diagnostic threshold for PD in the AMPD. A consecutive clinical sample of adolescents in Bern, Switzerland (N = 293), were first administered the SAPAS, then the Semistructured Interview for Personality Functioning Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (STiP-5.1). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the SAPAS in relation to the STiP-5.1. ROC regression analyses were conducted to determine if other variables moderated the discriminant performance of the SAPAS. Internal consistency of the SAPAS was low (α = .54) and overall discriminatory accuracy was moderate (area under the curve = .73). The optimum cut-off point was 5, with the best balance of sensitivity and specificity (63.22 and 69.90, respectively), correctly classifying 67.92% of participants. Agreement between the SAPAS and the STiP-5.1 using this cut-off was low (κ = .30). Age yielded statistically significant effects on the discriminant performance of the SAPAS-performance improving among older adolescents. Findings suggest that the SAPAS may not be the optimal method of screening for Criterion A IPF among adolescents in clinical settings but might also be more suited to Criterion B. Our findings call for a developmentally adapted screener for early detection of PD represented by IPF in adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the prevalence of personality disorder and the feasibility of using the SAPAS as a screening tool for personality disorder in an emergency department in India.

Personality disorders (PD) lead to frequent emergency department (ED) visits. Existing studies have evaluated high-risk ED populations in Western settings. PD screening tools, such as the Standardized Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), have thus far only been validated in Western populations. This study aimed to establish the screened prevalence of PD, and to evaluate the performance of the SAPAS as a screening tool within an ED setting in India. The study took place in the ED of a private multi-speciality hospital in Kolkata, India. All attendees were approached during two days per week over three months, except those who were medically unfit to participate. The SAPAS and the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) were translated into Bengali and then used as screening tools for PD and as the reference standard for PD diagnosis. Out of 120 ED attendees approached, 97 participated (48 men and 49 women), of whom 24% met the criteria for a diagnosis of PD. A cut-off score of 4 on the SAPAS provided the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity for detecting PD. The prevalence of PD was similar to Western samples, and the SAPAS showed promise for use in a non-Western setting.

The psychopathology of recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis: A case-control study.

Despite its poor prognosis, the psychological factors associated with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis are poorly understood. In people with type 1 diabetes, we assessed for psychopathology in those with and without recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The design was a case-control study. Cases were defined as people with two or more DKA episodes in a 12-month period (recurrent DKA). Cases and controls were matched for gender and age. We compared groups for scores on Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck's Depression Inventory II, Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), Interpersonal Problem Inventory, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) using unpaired t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests for parametric and non-parametric data, respectively. Correction was made for multiple testing. In all, 23 cases and 23 controls were recruited with mean age 31.0 (11.4)years and 65.2% were men. Cases had higher HbA1c levels than controls (101.1 (23.2) vs. 85.7 (21.7) mmol/mol, (p=0.02)). Compared to controls, people with recurrent DKA had higher scores on the BAI (p=0.004), PAID (p=0.004), DERS (p=0.001) and SAPAS (p<0.001). Sixteen of 23 (69.6%) cases screened positive for a personality disorder compared to 6 of 23 (26.1%) controls. People with recurrent DKA have elevated levels of anxiety and diabetes distress, greater difficulty with emotion regulation and personality dysfunction compared to matched controls.

Personality difficulties and response to community-based psychological treatment for anxiety and depression

BackgroundPrevious research suggests that comorbid personality disorder may be associated with a less favourable treatment outcome for individuals with depression and anxiety disorder. However, little is known about whether personality difficulties are associated with treatment outcomes within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services-the largest platform for treating depression and anxiety in England, UK. Secondary aims were to investigate i) whether individual personality difficulties are associated with treatment outcome and ii) whether findings are moderated by treatment type. MethodsThe sample included 3,689 adults who accessed community-based psychological treatment (cognitive behavioural therapy, emotional skills training, or other psychological therapy) for depression and/or anxiety disorder. Associations between personality difficulties (assessed with the Standardised Assessment of Personality–Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS)) and treatment outcomes (recovery and reliable improvement in depression/anxiety symptom scores, assessed using questionnaire-based measures) were investigated using logistic/linear regression. ResultsPersonality difficulties were associated with a reduced likelihood of recovery (adjusted OR per unit increase on SAPAS: depression=0.87, 95%CI 0.84, 0.91; anxiety=0.86, 95%CI 0.82, 0.90) and reliable improvement (adjusted OR per unit increase on SAPAS: depression=0.88, 95%CI 0.84, 0.92; anxiety=0.85, 95%CI 0.82, 0.89). Those with three or more difficulties were over 30% less likely to recover/reliably improve. LimitationsPersonality difficulties data were collected via self-report and were not available for all participants. ConclusionPatients with personality difficulties have a less favourable response to psychological treatment for depression/anxiety disorder. If replicated, the findings highlight a major challenge to the way community-based psychological therapy services in England (IAPT services) are presently constituted.

Validity and reliability of a Spanish version of the Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) for personality disorder screening in community mental health settings

Backgrounds and objectivesPersonality disorders (PDs) are an essential public health problem being frequently underdiagnosed in the mental health (MH) services. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study performed in patients attending a community mental health care out-patient clinic. The Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) was administered to 59 consecutively agreeing to take part. SAPAS factorial structure was analyzed utilizing principal component analysis with calculation of Cronbach's α to check for internal consistency. Subsequently, SAPAS criterion validity was established comparing it with the Spanish version of the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) by performing a ROC curve to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for different cut-off points. Finally, correlations were estimated between the SAPAS scores and dimensional scores for the different IPDE PD types. ResultsThree factors were achieved, each one closely related to the three DSM-5 PD groups (A–C) explaining 64.1% of total variance in the model. SAPAS internal consistency measured with Cronbach's α was 0.66. The area under the curve (AUC) was found to be 0.89. A cut-off point of 5 showed 84% sensitivity and 79% specificity, correctly classifying 81.5% of the individuals. ConclusionsSAPAS is a valid and reliable PD screening instrument in patients attending community mental health settings.

Incidence rate of anxiety and personality disorders and their interrelationship in senior-year students of the medical university

Objective: to study the incidence rate of personality and anxiety disorders and their interrelationship in seniors of the medical university.Materials and methods. The screening study for detection of personality and anxiety disorders using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Standardized Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) scales included 104 senior-year students of the medical university. In the studied sample, males (n = 46; 44.2%) and females (n = 58; 55.8%) (p &lt; 0.05) were equally represented, the average age of men was 23 (23; 25) years, women – 23 (23; 23) years. Statistical processing was performed using the Pearson’s χ2 test, Mann–Whitney U test to compare independent samples, and the Spearman correlation analysis (r) with a preliminary estimate of the normal distribution.Results. The data on the statistically significant differences in the level of anxiety and personality disorders depending on gender and age were obtained. Using the GAD-7 scale, the presence of moderate and average level of anxiety in male students was revealed in 26.1%, in female students – in 48.3% (ð = 0.001). The use of SAPAS scale revealed statistically insignificant differences in the studied groups: in males – 4 (4; 6) points, in the group of female students – 4 (3; 5) points (ð = 0.2).Conclusion. A logistic regression model was obtained that predicted the highest likelihood of development of anxiety disorders.

Disordered personality traits and psychiatric morbidity in pregnancy: a population-based study

This study aims to investigate the characteristics and mental health status of pregnant women with disordered personality traits. A cross-sectional study of a stratified sample of 545 women attending antenatal booking at a South London maternity service was conducted. Disordered personality traits were assessed using the Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS). Mental disorders were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview DSM-IV (SCID). Logistic regression was used to model associations, adjusting for confounders. Complete SAPAS data were collected for over 99% of women (n = 541). The weighted prevalence of elevated disordered personality traits (SAPAS ≥ 3) was 16.2% (95% CI 12.6–20.5). Women with elevated disordered personality traits were younger, less likely to live alone and more likely to report living in insecure accommodation. Among women with elevated disordered personality traits, the most common mental disorders were anxiety disorders (31.4%) and depressive disorders (17.6%). Each extra item endorsed on the SAPAS was associated with an 82% higher odds of meeting criteria for an Axis I mental disorder (adjusted OR 1.82 (1.42–2.33); p < 0.001). Women with elevated disordered personality traits were at significantly increased risk of experiencing thoughts of self-harm (adjusted OR 2.12 (1.33–3.40); p = 0.002). Pregnant women with disordered personality traits are a particularly vulnerable population, with multiple psychosocial problems that are likely to require tailored support to ameliorate future health risks for mother and baby.

Using the SAPAS to identify risk for personality disorders among psychiatric outpatients in India: A feasibility study.

Personality disorders (PDs) are common among psychiatric outpatients and are associated with increased morbidity and worse treatment outcomes. Epidemiological research conducted among this population in Asian countries is limited, reflecting a significant gap in the current literature. One barrier to this research is the lack of appropriate screening tools. The current research assessed the feasibility of using the SAPAS (Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale) screening tool to identify individuals at high risk of PD in an Indian psychiatric outpatient population and provides an initial estimate of PD prevalence by using a validated diagnostic interview, the ICD-10 International Personality Disorder Examination. The findings suggest that whilst use of the SAPAS was feasible, acceptable to patients and led to clinically useful findings, when using the recommended cut-off score of 4, the SAPAS largely overdiagnoses the risk for PD in psychiatric outpatients in India (positive predictive value=26.3%). The estimated prevalence of personality disorder in the sample was 11.1%, based on administering the International Personality Disorder Examination diagnostic interview to high-risk patients scoring 4 and above on the SAPAS, which is higher than previous estimates for this population and still likely to be an underestimation. Future studies should translate the measure into Bengali and evaluate its sensitivity and specificity at different cut-off points in order to optimize its use in Indian populations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Screening For Personality Disorders in Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Patients

Abstract. The current study evaluates the psychometric properties of both the Standardized Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SIDP-IV) screener. One hundred two participants were interviewed with the SIDP-IV and the SAPAS. The SIDP-IV was used as the standard to identify PD; the SAPAS and the SIDP-IV screener were compared to the SIDP-IV in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power, and overall efficiency. ROC analyses were used to identify ideal cut-off scores. The data showed that both the SAPAS and the SIDP-IV screener had moderate sensitivity and specificity. For the SAPAS, the best cut-off score was 4, yielding a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.63. After modifying the scoring procedures for the SIDP-IV screener, we found a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.75. The results show that the psychometric properties of the SAPAS in a population of treatment-seeking SUD patients are relatively poor compared to previous studies in psychiatric populations. Also, the SAPAS cannot be used to screen for cluster B personality disorders. The SIDP-IV screener shows better results regarding this purpose. Due to the low prevalence of PD in the current study the results should be interpreted with caution.

Reliability and validity of the Farsi version of the standardized assessment of personality-abbreviated scale

Introduction: A short screening tool for high-risk individuals with personality disorder (PD) is useful both for clinicians and researchers. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Farsi version of the Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS). Methods: The original English version of the SAPAS questionnaire was translated into Farsi, and then, translated back into English by two professionals. A survey was then conducted using the questionnaire on 150 clients of primary health care centers in Tabriz, Iran. A total of 235 medical students were also studied for the reliability assessment of the questionnaire. The SAPAS was compared to the short form of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The data analysis was performed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve technique, operating characteristic for diagnostic efficacy, Cronbachs alpha, and test-retest for reliability evaluation. Results: We found an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.566 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.455-0.677]; sensitivity of 0.89 and specificity of 0.26 at the cut-off score of 2 and higher. The total Cronbachs alpha coefficient was 0.38 and Cohen's kappa ranged between 0.5 and 0.8. Conclusion: The current study showed that the Farsi version of the SAPAS was relatively less efficient, in term of validity and reliability, in the screening of PD in the population.

The SAPAS, Personality Traits, and Personality Disorder.

Many argue that current categorical personality disorder (PD) classification systems should be more dimensional and consider personality traits. The present study examined whether a brief PD screening tool, the Standardized Assessment of Personality: Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) primarily screened for traits of low emotional stability, low extraversion, and low agreeableness, rather than PD per se. A general community sample (n = 237) completed the SAPAS, a personality trait measure, and the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) screening questionnaire. Regressions showed that the SAPAS provided substantial incremental validity over personality trait scores in predicting total IPDE scores, indicating that the SAPAS captures variance unique to PD, rather than just extremes of general disposition. The SAPAS is an empirically valid rapid PD screen for nonclinical populations, correctly identifying 78% of individuals who screen positively for PD on the IPDE. However, the SAPAS was not effective for screening antisocial PD, limiting its utility in forensic settings.

Validation of the standardised assessment of personality--abbreviated scale in a general population sample.

BackgroundPersonality disorder (PD) is associated with important health outcomes in the general population. However, the length of diagnostic interviews poses a significant barrier to obtaining large scale, population‐based data on PD. A brief screen for the identification of people at high risk of PD in the general population could be extremely valuable for both clinicians and researchers.AimWe set out to validate the Standardised Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), in a general population sample, using the Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM‐IV Personality Disorders (SCID‐II) as a gold standard.MethodOne hundred and ten randomly selected, community‐dwelling adults were administered the SAPAS screening interview. The SCID‐II was subsequently administered by a clinical interviewer blind to the initial SAPAS score. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the discriminatory performance of the SAPAS, relative to the SCID‐II.ResultsArea under the curve for the SAPAS was 0.70 (95% CI = 0.60 to 0.80; p < 0.001), indicating moderate overall discriminatory accuracy. A cut point score of 4 on the SAPAS correctly classified 58% of participants. At this cut point, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.69 and 0.53 respectively.ConclusionThe SAPAS operates less efficiently as a screen in general population samples and is probably most usefully applied in clinical populations. © 2015 The Authors Personality and Mental Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Personality Disorder and Self-Rated Health: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Little is known about the impact of personality disorder (PD) on the health of people living in the community. The authors set out to examine the association between PD and general health, using a cross-sectional survey of a representative community sample in London, UK. A total of 1,698 adults aged 16 years or over from 1,075 randomly selected households were recruited and interviewed face-to-face by trained interviewers. Using multivariable logistic regression, the authors examined the cross-sectional association between PD screen status, as assessed by the Standardised Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), and self-rated health, adjusting for demographic and health covariates. Of the participants, 14.5% screened positively for PD. A greater proportion of those scoring positively for PD reported poor self-rated health, compared to screen negative participants (41.3% versus 15.0%). This association was reduced, but remained significant, after adjustment for potential confounders (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.99, 95% CI [2.93, 5.42]; fully adjusted OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.02, 2.29]. Of note, subthreshold symptoms of PD were significantly associated with poor self-rated health (unadjusted OR per unit SAPAS score increment = 1.53, 95% CI [1.40, 1.67]; fully adjusted OR = 1.19, 95% CI [1.07, 1.33]. Furthermore, people screening positive for PD were more likely to report multiple (three or more) long-standing illnesses. The authors conclude that in the general population, individuals who are at high risk for PD are independently at increased risk of poor general health.

Initial outcomes of a therapeutic community‐based outpatient programme in the management of personality disorder

PurposeThis study aims to describe the effectiveness of two arms of a personality disorder service: a modified mentalization based therapy (MBT) day programme and an open access service‐user network (SUN) support. Both arms utilised therapeutic community principles in service delivery.Design/methodology/approachPersonality disorder subtypes for all patients entering the modified MBT programme were diagnosed at a clinical assessment interview and corroborated through use of a standardized semi‐structured interview (SCID II). All patients were also allowed open access to a service user network community support group (SUN Project). Outcome measures were applied at baseline, mid‐therapy and end of therapy and included self‐report measures of depression, anxiety, general symptom distress, interpersonal function, social adjustment and patient satisfaction. Clinician‐rated measures of general health and functioning were also used. Data analysis used paired sample T‐tests and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, depending upon the assessment of parametric or nonparametric tests of trend. The open access nature of the SUN Project demanded a different data collection method. All members received a Standardized Assessment of Personality – abbreviated scale (SAPAS). Two validated empowerment questionnaires were sent to all SUN members that had achieved six months of membership: the first relating to the six‐month period before joining the SUN and the second to the six‐month period after joining the SUN Project. Paired sample T‐tests were used to compare sets of empowerment scores.FindingsPatients who completed 18 months of MBT‐tc treatment showed a statistically significant improvement on the clinician‐administered measures relating to psychological, social and occupational functioning, compared to baseline. Patients also reported statistically significant improvement in using the brief symptom inventory. All SUN members perceived significant increases in empowerment across the five score subscales. No completed suicidal acts were recorded within the period of analysis within either arm of the service.Originality/valueAn integrated therapeutic community day service appears to afford improvements in perceived empowerment and symptom severity for patients. Further data collection with a larger sample is needed to clarify whether these outcomes support the development of a wider integration of the relatively low cost SUN Project model and MBT within therapeutic communities.

2049 – Are personality traits predictive of diagnosis in adjustment disorder and depressive episode

Aims In this study we aimed to examine the characteristics of patients diagnosed with depressive episode or adjustment disorder, and to explore the interplay between these diagnoses and personality disorder/traits. Methods Patients referred to the liaison psychiatry services at three Dublin hospitals and diagnosed with either a depressive episode or an adjustment disorder were recruited to this study. They were interviewed at time of diagnosis and again after six months using validated instruments, including SCAN (Schedule for Clinical Diagnosis in Neuropsychiatry - a semi-structured diagnostic interview schedule) and possible personality disorder as measured by SAPAS (Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale). Results 370 patients were recruited to the study, 185 of whom had a diagnosis of an adjustment disorder; the remainder were diagnosed with a depressive episode according to ICD-10 criteria. SCAN (Schedule for Clinical Diagnosis in Neuropsychiatry - a semi-structured diagnostic interview schedule) was not useful in distinguishing between these two diagnoses. Patients with a SAPAS score above 3 (cut-off for likely personality disorder) and a diagnosis of adjustment disorder had an increased risk of suicidal behaviour (p = 0.001). When both diagnostic groups were analysed together, patients with a SAPAS score above 3 had an increased risk of suicidal behaviour (p = 0.007). Conclusions There has been little prior research into personality disorder and its association with adjustment disorder. Personality traits are associated with a diagnosis of depression rather than adjustment disorder, but have a stronger association with suicidal behaviour in patients with a diagnosis of adjustment disorder.

771 – Communicability and regret as tools to modify occurrence and future outcome in cases of deliberate self harm

To assess the presence of communicability and regret in cases of deliberate self harm in a tertiary care hospital. To establish relation of communicability as a preventive sign and regret as a good prognostic sign in cases of deliberate self harm. All consecutive patients with deliberate self harm presented to the emergency department during a 1 year period were assessed on a preformed Performa designed by authors after being declared physically fit and were screened by Standardized Assessment of Personality Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), PSLES, HAM-D and HAM-A. Majority of respondents screened negative by SAPAS scoring. Most of the patient had significant stress in life .Most of them had marital conflicts, family conflicts and economic burden as major stressor leading to suicidal behavior. Verbal communication was the most common mode of communication. Most of the subjects 86.3% (69 out of 80) had severe regret about their attempt of deliberate self harm. It developed a high motivation in them not to attempt suicide next time in life. Most of the suicidal acts are impulsive in nature and are not associated with any psychiatric co morbidity. Our study showed that if communicability is enhanced and this is considered seriously, providing supportive care by family most of the suicidal acts can be avoided. Regret arising after the suicidal act can be used to motivate the subject of deliberate self harm to avoid repetition of future attempts.

The Standardized Assessment of Personality—Abbreviated Scale as a screening instrument for personality disorders in substance‐dependent criminal offenders

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.

A comparison of the standardised assessment of personality – abbreviated scale and the offender assessment system personality disorder screen in a probation community sample

This study investigated the utility of standardised assessment of personality abbreviated scale (SAPAS) and the offender assessment system (OASys) personality disorder screen in a sample of 447 probationers being supervised in the community. Comparisons were made between the two measures, their relationship with recidivism risk and other markers of personality dysfunction drawn from probation records. There was limited agreement between the two screens. The SAPAS showed no relationship with recidivism risk and was predicted by suicide/self-harm and difficulties coping. The OASys PD screen demonstrated a strong relationship with risk and was predicted by alcohol problems and problems from childhood. The proportion of offenders meeting the cut-off on both screens is reported. The results suggest the SAPAS should be used in combination with the OASys PD screen in probation, to enhance sensitivity to antisocial cases and incorporate information about risk.