Skip to main content
Log in

The Social Behaviour Assessment Schedule (SBAS): Rationale, contents, scoring and reliability of a new interview schedule

  • Other Papers
  • Published:
Social psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A critical review of interview schedules currently available for the assessment of the psychiatric patient's social functioning and its impact on significant others demonstrates a number of problems in the conceptualization of role behaviour and burden on the household. The Social Behaviour Assessment Schedule (SBAS) has been designed to meet the need for a more theoretically adequate research instrument which will be of practical use in the evaluation of different treatment regimes. The SBAS takes the form of a standardized, semi-structured interview with the patient's most closely involved relative or friend. The overall structure of the schedule is described, and detailed consideration given to the contents, scoring and inter-rater reliability of the scales in the three core sections. These sections measure the patient's disturbed behaviour, the patient's social performance, and the adverse effects on the household.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akers, R. L.: Deviant behaviour: a social learning approach. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing 1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartko, J. J.: The intraclass correlation coefficient as a measure of reliability. Psychol. Rep.19, 3–11 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Birley, J. L. T., Brown, G. W.: Crises and life changes preceding the onset or relapse of acute schizophrenia: clinical aspects. Br. J. Psychiat.116, 327–333 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W.: Meaning, measurement and stress of life events. In: Stressful life events: their nature and effects. (eds. B. S. Dohrenwend and B. P. Dohrenwend). New York: John Wiley 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T.: Crises and life changes and the onset of schizophrenia. J. Health. Soc. Behav.,9, 203–214 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Rutter, M.: The measurement of family activities and relationships: a methodological study. Hum. Relations,19, 241–263 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T., Wing, J. K.: Influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: a replication. Br. J. Psychiat.,121, 241–258 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Bone, M., Dallison, B., Wing, J. K.: Schizophrenia and social care. London: Oxford University Press 1966

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Sklair, F., Harris, T. O., Birley, J. L. T.: Life events and psychiatric disorders. Part I: Some methodological issues. Psychol. Med.3, 74–87 (1973a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. W., Harris, T. O., Peto, J.: Life events and psychiatric disorders. Part 2: Nature of the causal link. Psychol. Med.3, 159–176 (1973b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clare, A. W., Cairns, V. E.: Design, development and use of a standardized instrument to assess social adjustment and dysfunction in community studies. Psychol. Med.8, 589–604 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. W., van Sommers, P.: Contradictory demands in family relations and adjustment to school and home. Hum. Relations,14, 97–111 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, J. A., Yarrow, M. R. (eds.): Mental illness and the family. J. Soc. Iss.11, 3–66 (1955)

  • Cohen, J.: A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educ. Psychol. Meas.20, 37–46 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J.: Weighted Kappa: nominal scale agreement with provision for scaled disagreement or partial credit. Psychol. Bull.70, 213–220 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Copas, J. B., Fryer, M., Robin, A.: Treatment settings in psychiatry. London: Henry Kimpton 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Creer, C, Wing, J. K.: Schizophrenia at home. London: Institute of Psychiatry 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Dean, J. P., Whyte, W. F.: How do you know if the informant is telling the truth? Hum. Organ.17, 34–38 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebel, R. L.: Estimation of the reliability of ratings. Psychometrika16, 407–424 (1951)

    Google Scholar 

  • Endicott, J., Spitzer, R. L.: Current and past psychopathology scales (CAPPS). Arch. Gen. Psychiatry27, 678–687 (1972a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Endicott, J., Spitzer, R. L.: What! Another rating scale? The psychiatric evaluation form. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis.154, 88–104 (1972b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleiss, J. L., Spitzer, R. L., Burdock, E. I.: Estimating accuracy of judgment using recorded interviews. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry,12, 562–567 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, J. K.: Persuasion and healing. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press 1961

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, H. E., Simmons, O. G.: The mental patient comes home. New York: John Wiley 1963

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrett, A.: Interviewing: Its principles and methods. New York: Family Service Assoc. America 1942

    Google Scholar 

  • Grad, J., Sainsbury, P.: Evaluation of treatment and services. In: The burden on the community. The epidemiology of mental illness. Symposium, pp. 69–116. London: Oxford University Press 1962

    Google Scholar 

  • Grad, J., Sainsbury, P.: Mental illness and the family. Lancet1963 I, 544–547

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurland, B. J., Yorkston, N. J., Stone, A. R., Frank, J. D., Fleiss, J. L.: The structured and scaled interview to assess maladjustment (SSIAM). I. Description, rationale and development. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry27, 259–264 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewett, S.: Towards a measure of social performance? Mimeo (1975)

  • Herz, M. I., Endicott, J., Spitzer, R. L.: Brief versus standard hospitalization: the families. Am. J. Psychiatry,133, 795–801 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, S. R., Platt, S. D., Knights, A. K., Weyman, A.: Shortening hospital stay for psychiatric care: effect on patients and their families. Br. Med. J.1979 I, 442–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoenig, J.: The de-segregation of the psychiatric patient. Proc. R. Soc. Med.61, 115–120 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoenig, J., Hamilton, M. W.: The burden on the household in an extramural psychiatric service. In: New aspects of the mental health services, pp. 612–635. (ed. H. Freeman). London: Pergamon 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, L. W., Lippitt, R.: The measurement of family life variables. In: Handbook of research methods in child development (ed. P. H. Mussen). New York: John Wiley 1960

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogarty, G. E., Katz, M. M.: Norms of adjustment and social behaviour. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry25, 470–480 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, M. M., Lyerly, S. B.: Methods for measuring adjustment and social behaviour in the community. I. Rationale, description, discriminative validity and scale development. Psychol. Rep. Monogr. Supp. 4-VI3,13, 503–535 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Linn, M. W., Sculthorpe, W. B., Evje, M., Slater, P. H., Goodman, S. P.: A social dysfunction rating scale. J. Psychiatr. Res.6, 299–306 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • McCall, G. J., Simmons, J. L.: Identities and interactions. New York: Free Press 1966

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizruchi, E.: Success and opportunity: a study of anomie. New York: Free Press 1954

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadel, S. F.: The theory of social structure. London: Cohen and West 1957

    Google Scholar 

  • Paykel, E. S., Weissman, M. M., Prusoff, B. A., Tonks, C.M.: Dimensions of social adjustment in depressed women. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis.152, 158–172 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt, S. D.: The concept of ‘social adjustment’ in psychiatric interview schedules: a critique. (Forthcoming (a))

  • Platt, S. D.: On establishing the validity of objective data: Can we rely on across-interview agreement? (Forthcoming (b))

  • Rutter, M., Brown, G. W.: The reliability and validity of measures of family life and relationships in families containing a psychiatric patient. Social Psychiatry1, 38–53 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryle, G.: The concept of mind. London: Hutchinson 1950

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J., Fleiss, J. L., Cohen, J.: The psychiatric status schedule: a technique for evaluating psychopathology and impairment in role functioning. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry23, 41–55 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer, R. L., Fleiss, J. L., Burdock, E. I., Hardesty, A. S.: The mental status schedule: rationale, reliability and validity. Compr. Psychiatry5, 384–395 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., Endicott, J.: Family evaluation form. Biometrics Research, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene: New York 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, B. C.: Dependence of schizophrenic patients on elderly relatives. Psychol. Med.2, 17–32 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, B.C.: The role of fluphenazine decanoate in lessening the burden of chronic schizophrenics on the community. Psychol. Med.3, 141–158 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissman, M. M., The assessment of social adjustment: a review of techniques. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry32, 357–365 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissman, M. M., Paykel, E. S.: The depressed woman: a study of social relationships. London: University of Chicago Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, J. K., Birley, J.L.T., Cooper, J. E., Graham, P., Isaacs, A. D.: Reliability of a procedure for measuring and classifying ‘Present Psychiatric State’. Br. J. Psychiatry113, 499–515 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E., Sartorius, N: The measurement and classification of psychiatric symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, J. K., Nixon, D. M., Mann, S. A., Leff, J. P.: Reliability of the PSE (9th edition) used in a population study. Psychol. Med.7, 505–516 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaukey, D. B., Roberts, B. J., Griffiths, W.: Husbands' vs wives' responses to a fertility survey. Pop. Studies19, 29–43 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This schedule was developed during the course of a research investigation which was supported by a grant from the Department of Health and Social Security. We would like to thank Mr. J. W. Borland for writing the computer programme to calculate the values of weighted kappa, and Dr. K. D. Macrae for general statistical advice.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Platt, S., Weyman, A., Hirsch, S. et al. The Social Behaviour Assessment Schedule (SBAS): Rationale, contents, scoring and reliability of a new interview schedule. Soc Psychiatry 15, 43–55 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00577960

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00577960

Keywords

Navigation