[Self-rating scales in schizophrenia: assessment of the reliability of the Paranoid-Depressive Scale (PD-S) Frankfurt Self-feeling Scale (FBS). and two visual analogy scales].

Aim: To assess the reliability of the Paranoid-Depressive Scale (PD-S, Paranoid-Depresivitäts-Skala), the Frankfurt Self-feeling Scale (FBS, Frankfurter Befindlichkeitsskala), and of two visual analogy scales of a sense of illness (WAC) and of self-feeling (WAS).

Material: 210 patients with schizophrenia of various clinical courses.

Method: All patients in the study group were required to complete each scale twice (test-retest) at 48hr intervals, in order to assess each method's reproducibility. In addition, the two complex questionnaire scales were analysed for internal coherence.

Results: Spearman's rho correlation coefficient for reproducibility was found to be very high for all the scales. Also, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal coherence was found to be acceptably high for both complex questionnaire scales, with reference to the scales as a whole, as well as to their dimensions (paranoid and depression dimensions of the PD-S).

Conclusion: Patients suffering from schizophrenia can reliably use the above-mentioned scales.