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.

Collaborative mental health care versus care as usual in a primary care setting: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of treating common mental disorders in a collaborative care program in a primary care setting and the effectiveness of treating such disorders through traditional referral of patients to mental health services.

Methods: In a cluster randomized controlled trial, 27 general practitioner practices in the Netherlands were designated to provide either collaborative care or usual care. In the collaborative care condition, a mental health care professional worked on site at the primary care practice and was available to provide patients a maximum of five appointments if they were referred by the general practitioner.

Renal effects of long-term lithium therapy in the elderly: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To determine the effect of long-term lithium therapy on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and maximum renal concentrating capacity (Umax) in the elderly, to identify possible risk factors, to determine the clinical impact of a reduced Umax in this population and in case of polyuria to establish a diagnosis.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 48 outpatients of 65 years or over (mean 74.8 years), who were treated with lithium for more than 6 months (mean 9.

Severity and duration of depression, not personality factors, predict short term outcome in the treatment of major depression.

Background: Prediction of treatment outcome has important clinical consequences. Personality factors have rarely been tested as predictors of acute outcome. Personality, demographic and illness-related characteristics were assessed at baseline for prediction of outcome of treatment in depressed out-patients.

The five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale I: confirmatory factor analysis fails to confirm 25 published five-factor solutions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the goodness-of-fit of all previously published five-factor models of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Methods: We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a large data set (N = 5769).

Results: The different subsamples were tested for heterogeneity and were found to be homogeneous.

The five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale II: a ten-fold cross-validation of a revised model.

Objective: The lack of fit of 25 previously published five-factor models for the PANSS items, can be due to the statistics used. The purpose of this study was to use a 'new' statistical method to develop and confirm an improved five-factor model. The improved model is both complex and stable.