ASSESSING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and v alidity of a new assessment instrument for positive and negative sympt oms in severely disturbed children and adolescents (Kiddie-PANSS) Meth od: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for adult schizophrenia w as modified through successive field trials on the basis of developmen tal characteristics of children and adolescents. The scab was then giv en to 34 inpatients (19 children, mean age=9.35 years, and 15 adolesce nts, mean age=14.33 years) with DSM-III-R diagnoses of schizophrenia; psychosis not otherwise specified schizoaffective, affective, conduct, personality, and developmental disorders determined independently by child psychiatrists. All patients with schizophrenia were placed in th e schizophrenic group, and all others were placed in a general inpatie nt group. The Kiddie-PANSS ratings were given by three trained child p sychiatrists after a 30-35-minute structured interview. The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Sym ptoms, and the Scab for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms were also administered in order to determine criterion-related association. Resu lts: Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed that all subscales a nd total psychopathology were reliably assessed among raters. The Kidd ie-PANSS and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms/Scale for t he Assessment of Negative Symptoms correlated with one another, indica ting criterion-related association. Differences on measures of positiv e, negative, and general psychopathology, as measured by the Kiddie-PA NSS, between the patients with schizophrenia and the general inpatient group were highly significant. Conclusion: The Kiddie-PANSS shows goo d interrater reliability and criterion-related validity. In a cohort o f inpatient children and adolescents the scale successfully differenti ated schizophrenic patients from nonschizophrenic patients.