The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia

SR Kay, A Fiszbein, LA Opler - Schizophrenia bulletin, 1987 - academic.oup.com
SR Kay, A Fiszbein, LA Opler
Schizophrenia bulletin, 1987academic.oup.com
The variable results of positive-negative research with schizophrenics underscore the
importance of well-characterized, standardized measurement techniques. We report on the
development and initial standardization of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale
(PANSS) for typological and dimensional assessment. Based on two established psychiatric
rating systems, the 30-item PANSS was conceived as an operationalized, drug-sensitive
instrument that provides balanced representation of positive and negative symptoms and …
Abstract
The variable results of positive-negative research with schizophrenics underscore the importance of well-characterized, standardized measurement techniques. We report on the development and initial standardization of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for typological and dimensional assessment. Based on two established psychiatric rating systems, the 30-item PANSS was conceived as an operationalized, drug-sensitive instrument that provides balanced representation of positive and negative symptoms and gauges their relationship to one another and to global psychopathology. It thus constitutes four scales measuring positive and negative syndromes, their differential, and general severity of illness. Study of 101 schizophrenics found the four scales to be normally distributed and supported their reliability and stability. Positive and negative scores were inversely correlated once their common association with general psychopathology was extracted, suggesting that they represent mutually exclusive constructs. Review of five studies involving the PANSS provided evidence of its criterion-related validity with antecedent, genealogical, and concurrent measures, its predictive validity, its drug sensitivity, and its utility for both typological and dimensional assessment.
Oxford University Press