DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SCALE FOR RATING MOOD STATES OF PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS

Objective: The authors assessed reliability and validity of a scale de veloped for use with inpatients on a mood disorders unit. The scale is used to rate a patient's mood along a quantitative continuum from -5, depressive stupor, through 0, euthymic, to 5, full mania. The scale l ists behaviors that constitute criteria for each rating point. Mixed s tates and idiosyncratic behavior can also be assessed. Methods: Assess ment of the scale's reliability and validity was based on data for 53 psychiatric inpatients. The scale's reliability was assessed by compar ing nurses' ratings. Validity was assessed by comparing nurses' rating s with patients' self-ratings using previously validated self-report i nstruments as well as a patient self-report version of the scale. Resu lts: Interrater reliability for the instrument was high (r = .84). Est imates of validity obtained using patient self-report measures ranged from .54 to .85. Conclusions: The psychometric properties of the scale are comparable to and in some cases are superior to those reported fo r instruments that include more items and that take longer to complete .