Searching for a consensus five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for schizophrenia

• Published in: Schizophrenia research Vol. 137; no. 1-3; pp. 246 - 250
• Main Authors: Wallwork, R.S., Fortgang, R., Hashimoto, R., Weinberger, D.R., Dickinson, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Consensus; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Models, Statistical; PANSS; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenic Psychology; Symptoms; Young Adult; Schizophrenia; Cognition; PANSS; Symptoms; Human; Psychometrics; Personality; Psychosis; Symptomatology; Big Five personality model; Negative symptom; Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Kay et al; Positive symptom
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.01.031

Although the developers of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) grouped items into three subscales, factor analyses indicate that a five-factor model better characterizes PANSS data. However, lack of consensus on which model to use limits the comparability of PANSS variables across studies. We counted “votes” from published factor analyses to derive consensus models. One of these combined superior fit in our Caucasian sample (n=458, CFI=.970), and in distinct Japanese sample (n=164, CFI=.964), relative to the original three-subscale model, with a sorting of items into factors that was highly consistent across the studies reviewed.