| |
 
   Powered by SearchMedica
SearchMedica recommended medical sites    Search Psychiatric Times    Prioritize Results by Publication Date

BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale)

Persons having or suspected of having schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder manifest the disorder in multiple ways. The BPRS assesses the level of 18 symptom constructs such as hostility, suspiciousness, hallucination, and grandiosity. It is particularly useful in gauging the efficacy of treatment in patients who have moderate to severe psychoses.
It is based on the clinician's interview with the patient and observations of the patient's behavior over the previous 2-3 days. The patient's family can also provide the behavior report.
The rater enters a number for each symptom construct that ranges from 1 (not present) to 7 (extremely severe). The time necessary to complete the interview and scoring can be as little as 20-30 minutes.
   
 
More About Schizophrenia and the BPRS
Focus on Pharmacotherapy Studies in the Elderly
The NIMH-sponsored New Clinical Drugs Evaluation Unit (NCDEU) meeting is a favored venue for reports and reviews of NIH-funded psychopharmacological studies, and this was true of the recent annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla. The meeting included a... More »
Risperdal Tablet, Orally Disintegrating
Risperdal Tablet, Orally Disintegrating More »
Risperdal Tablet
Risperdal Tablet More »
Iloperidone Approved as “Second-Generation” Benefits Debated
The FDA recently approved iloperidone (Fanapt, Vanda Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of schizophrenia, reversing a July 2008 determination that the New Drug Application (NDA) was “not approvable.” An FDA spokesperson explained in an interview in... More »
Newer Treatments for Schizophrenia: Benefits and Drawbacks
New treatments for patients with schizophrenia may be on the horizon, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco. While some of these therapies may help treat the negative and... More »
Showing 1 - 5 of 28 results.
Page of 6
Jay M. Pomerantz, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School, Boston

A large number of psychiatric tests, scales, and forms have been created over the years to help in diagnosing mental illness and assisting in treatment and follow-up. This Web-based service offers copies of some of the most popular and useful instruments. The hope is that healthcare professionals—whether in specialty practices, primary-care settings, or emergency services—will find this format convenient and useful, allowing them to find the right instrument quickly, print it out for immediate use with patients, and add the findings to their records. Since most of the tools are designed for repeated use over time, they will provide not only a longitudinal view but also document the medical record.

In addition to the forms themselves, you will find instructions on how to administer and score the scales as well as related articles and links to other useful guidance. When appropriate, we will supply video resources for additional insights.

These scales have demonstrated high levels of accuracy and validity and the results can give important clues to possible mental disorders that warrant follow up. However, please remember that they depend on the skills of the clinicians administering them and the accuracy of the information provided by the patients.