Development and validation of the Questionnaire of Stressful Life Events (QSLE).

Stressful life events (SLEs) are important indicators prior to the onset of first-episode psychosis (FEP). Although there are well-validated interviews and self-reports for assessing SLE on proximate events, unfortunately there are no instruments to assess SLE covering an entire lifetime. This study includes detailed specific items of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood focused on the presence of SLE, emotional impact (stressfulness), and the age at which the event occurred.

Incidence of stressful life events and influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables on the onset of first-episode psychosis.

This study presents a quantitative analysis of the incidence of stressful life events (SLEs) and the variables gender, age at onset, family history and psychotic symptoms in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). A descriptive, cross-sectional methodology was used to interview 68 patients with FEP between 13 and 47 years of age. The Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview Life Events Scale collected one-year period prior to onset of FEP - used to analyse the subcategories academic, work, love and marriage, children, residence, legal affairs, finances and social activities-, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale were used to assess the relevance of certain SLEs during adolescence.

Influence of cognition, premorbid adjustment and psychotic symptoms on psycho-social functioning in first-episode psychosis.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between psycho-social functioning and symptoms, cognitive function, and premorbid adjustment, in patients with a first-episode psychosis.

Method: Clinical data were obtained from 90 patients, who were assessed with the Disability Assessment Scale (DAS-sv), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS-S) and with a battery of cognitive tests including Trail Making Tests A and B (TMTA- B), Continous Performance Test (CPT), some subscales of the Wechler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and the Verbal Learning Test España-Complutense (TAVEC).

Results: The results of the study suggest that psycho-social functioning in first-episode psychosis is significantly related to: positive, negative, excitative, affective and disorganized symptoms, social premorbid adjustment, cognitive flexibility, working memory, short term and long term memory.

Relationship between menarche and psychosis onset in women with first episode of psychosis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between age at menarche and age at first episode of psychosis, as well as clinical severity and outcome, in a population of women with first-episode psychosis.

Methods: Clinical and socio-demographical data, age at menarche and at first-episode psychosis, parental history of psychosis and cannabis-use habits were obtained from 42 subjects with a first episode of psychosis. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinical Global Impression, Global Assessment Function, Disability Assessment Schedule, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, European Quality of Life, and Lewis and Murray Obstetric Complication Scales were administered.

Cognitive profiles of three clusters of patients with a first-episode psychosis.

Objective: The primary objective was to identify specific groups of patients with a first-episode psychosis based on family history, obstetric complications, neurological soft signs, and premorbid functioning. The secondary objective was to relate these groups with cognitive variables.

Method: A total of 62 first-episode psychoses were recruited from adult and child and adolescent mental health services.

Spanish adaptation of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) for schizophrenia.

Introduction: The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale has been designed to evaluate the cognitive insight capacity, that is to say, the practice of self-reflectiveness as a meta-cognitive mechanism for examining and analysing the disorder's symptoms, it also permits a continuous re-evaluation of inadequate interpretations.

Methodology: The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties, the dimensional structure and the internal validity of the Spanish version of Beck's Cognitive Scale of Insight (BCIS). In this paper we also analyse its relation with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS).

Adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale for Schizophrenia.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale for Schizophrenia (Strauss and Carpenter, 1977).

Method: We performed a multicenter, longitudinal, descriptive study. Forward and backtranslation of the original scale was performed.

Adaptation and validation of the quality-of-life scale: Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale by Baker and Intagliata.

Objectives: There are few quality-of-life instruments specifically for schizophrenia; thus, the objective of our study is to adapt and validate the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale (SLDS) by Baker and Intagliata.

Method: This is a validation study in which the subjects were evaluated on 2 occasions (24-48 hours). The sample is composed of people with schizophrenia from 18 to 65 years old and who were seen in one of the following centers: Sant Joan de Déu-SSM, Hospital Clínic, Hospital de Mataró and Hospital Pere Mata.