The Standardised Assessment of Personality - abbreviated scale (SAPAS): preliminary validation of a brief screen for personality disorder

Background: There is a need fora brief and simple screen for personality disorders that can be used in routine psychiatric assessments. Aims: To test the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of a brief screen for personality disorder. Method: Sixty psychiatric patients were administered a brief screening interview for personality disorder. On the same day, they were interviewed with an established assessment for DSM - IV personality disorder. Three weeks later, the brief screening interview was repeated in order to examine test-retest reliability. Results: A score of 3 on the screening interview correctly identified the presence of DSM - IV personality disorder in 90% of participants. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.94 and 0.85 respectively. Conclusions: The study provides preliminary evidence of the usefulness of the screen in routine clinical settings.