Measuring schizophrenia remission in clinical practice

Objective: To evaluate reliability and validity of the short forms (SF) assessment of positive (SAPS) and negative (SANS) symptoms scales. Methods: In 235 Spanish schizophrenia outpatients, accuracy of the SF for measuring clinical remission (for at least 6 months) was assessed in comparison with the standard forms. Results: For the SF overall score, Cronbach's alpha was 0.78. Correlations with the standard form were 0.89, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally (0- to 12-month change scores). Using a cut-off score of 16, remission assessed by the SF had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 72%. When using a cut-off score of 8, both sensitivity and specificity were 86%. Conclusions: The short forms of the SAPS and the SANS are reliable and have face validity for assessing remission of schizophrenia outpatients. They should be considered for use in routine clinical practice.