Self-Appraisal of Illness Questionnaire (SAIQ): relationship to researcher-rated insight and neuropsychological function in schizophrenia

The Self-Appraisal of Illness Questionnaire (SAIQ) is a self-report instrum ent designed to assess attitudes toward mental illness among persons receiv ing psychiatric treatment. This instrument was developed for use in communi ty settings, adapted closely from the Patient's Experience of Hospitalizati on questionnaire. In order to examine the validity of the SAIQ, a factor an alysis was first conducted on the items of this instrument in a sample of 5 9 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective illness. Three factors emerged: Need for Treatment, Worry, and Presence/Outcome of Illness. Next, to examine the concurrent validity of these three SAIQ subscales, they were correlated with researcher rated insight scales and neuropsychological tes ts. Results indicated that the Need for Treatment and Presence/Outcome subs cales were significantly correlated with both researcher-rated insight scal es and with neuropsychological tests of executive functioning. The Worry su bscale was not associated with either researcher-rated insight scales or ne uropsychological tests. It was concluded that the Need for Treatment and Pr esence/Outcome subscales may be used in combination as a brief screening in strument for clients with schizophrenia receiving outpatient psychiatric tr eatment who may be at risk for treatment non-compliance due to a lack of in sight into illness. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.