Abstract
A validation of two rating scales is presented. We first translated the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) and the Nurses' Observation Scale for In‐patient Evaluation (NOSIE), which cover different aspects of psychopathology, into Italian. We then tested their validity and reliability in terms of inter‐rater and internal consistency. For validity, both cases and controls were included: for the MOAS we compared patients who were aggressive (cases) to those who were presumably non‐aggressive (controls). For the NOSIE, cases were acute inpatients and controls were subjects with expected stable behaviour. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was also administered to cases in order to test convergent validity. Either the NOSIE and/or MOAS scales were administered to 358 psychiatric inpatients. A subset of these patients (131 for the MOAS and 226 for the NOSIE) was also used to test the inter‐rater reliability. Both scales showed good psychometric properties. The correlation coefficients between raters were much higher than 0.75 (for the NOSIE) or 0.90 (for the MOAS), while the discriminant power between cases and controls was confirmed for both scales and good concordance with BPRS was observed. The NOSIE showed good internal consistency for all domains except neatness. In general the MOAS showed better results than the NOSIE for all psychometric properties, although both scales are suitable for monitoring the behaviour and aggression of acute ward inpatients. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd.
Keywords: validation, aggressiveness, acute ward inpatients, behavioural scales
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (234.5 KB).
References
- American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Forth Edition, Text Revision. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. [Google Scholar]
- Armenteros JL, Lewis JE. Citalopram treatment for impulsive aggression in children and adolescents: an open pilot study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2002; 41: 522–9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Barbini B, Bertelli S, Colombo C, Smeraldi E. Sleep loss, a possible factor in augmenting manic episode. Psychiatry Res 1996; 65: 121–5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cai G, Li T, Deng H, Zhao J, Hu X, Murray RM, Liu X, Sham PC, Collier DA. Affected sibling pair linkage analysis of qualitative and quantitative traits for schizophrenia on chromosome 22 in a Chinese population. Am J Med Genet 2001; 105: 321–7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cicchetti DV, Allison T. A New Procedure for Assessing Reliability of Scoring EEG Sleep Recordings, American Journal of EEG Technology 1971; 11: 101–9. [Google Scholar]
- Citrome L, Volavka J, Czobor P, Sheitman B, Lindenmayer JP, McEvoy J, Cooper TB, Chakos M, Lieberman JA. Effects of clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol on hostility among patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatr Serv 2001; 52: 1510–14. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohen J. Weighted kappa: nominal scale agreement with provision for scaled disagreement of partial credit. Psychol Bull 1968; 70: 213–20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Conti L. Repertorio delle scale psicometriche di valutazione. Firenze: SEE, 1999. [Google Scholar]
- Cronbach LJ. Coefficient Alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika 1951; 16: 297–334. [Google Scholar]
- Dingemans PM. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale BPRS; and the Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation NOSIE; in the evaluation of positive and negative symptoms. J Clin Psychol 1990; 46: 168–74. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dingemans PM, Stobberingh R, Smit B. A cross‐cultural study of the factorial dimensions of the NOSIE: a follow‐up note. J Clin Psychol 1986; 42: 479–84. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gray JE. The nosie‐30 ward behavior rating scale: factor structure and sex differences. J Clin Psychol 1972; 28: 390–3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hafkenscheid A. Psychometric evaluation of the Nurses Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation in The Netherlands. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1991a; 83: 46–52. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hafkenscheid A. Psychometric evaluation of a standardized and expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1991b; 84: 294–300. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Honigfeld G. NOSIE–30: history and current status of its use in pharmacopsychiatric research. Mod Probl Pharmacopsychiatry 1974; 7: 238–63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Honingfeld G. NOSIE: Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation In Guy WH. (ed.) ECDEU assessment manual for pschopahrmacology. Rockville MD: NIMH, 1976. [Google Scholar]
- Honigfeld G, Gillis RD, Klett CJ. NOSIE‐30: a treatment sensitive ward behaviour scale. Psychol Rep 1966; 19: 180–2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hutchinson A, Bentzen N, Konig‐Zahn C. Cross cultural health outcome assessment: A user's guide vol. I; European Research Group on Health Outcomes , 1997.
- Inch R, Crossley M, Keegan D, Thorarinson D. Use of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale to measure success in a psychosocial day program. Psychiatr Serv 1997; 48: 1195–7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kavoussi RJ, Coccaro EF. Divalproex sodium for impulsive aggressive behavior in patients with personality disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 1998; 59: 676–80. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kay SR, Wolkenfeld F, Murrill LM. Profiles of aggression among psychiatric patients. I. Nature and prevalence. J Nerv Ment Dis 1988; 176: 539–46. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Knudsen HC, Vazquez‐Barquero JL, Welcher B, Gaite L, Becker T, Chisholm D, Ruggeri M, Schene AH, Thornicroft G. Translation and cross‐cultural adaptation of outcome measurements for schizofrenia. Brit J Psychiatr 2000; 177: s8–s14. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lane HY, Chang YC, Cheng YC, Liu GC, Lin XR, Chang WH. Effects of patient demographics, risperidone dosage, and clinical outcome on body weight in acutely exacerbated schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry 2003; 64: 316–20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McMordie WR, Swint EB. Predictive utility, sex of rater differences, and interrater reliabilities of the NOSIE‐30. J Clin Psycol 1979; 35: 773–5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mischoulon D, Dougherty DD, Bottonari KA, Gresham RL, Sonawalla SB, Fischman AJ, Fava M. An open pilot study of nefazodone in depression with anger attacks: relationship between clinical response and receptor binding. Psychiatry Res 2002; 116: 151–61. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morosini PL, Roncone R, Impallomeni M, Marola V, Casacchia M. Presentazione dell'adattamento italiano della Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale versione 4.0 ampliata (BPRS 4.0) Rivista di Riabilitazione Psichiatrica e Psicosociale 1995; III: 195–226. [Google Scholar]
- Philip AE. A note on the Nurses' Observation Scale for In‐patient Evaluation NOSIE; Brit J Psychiat 1973; 122: 595–6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Roncone R, Ventura J, Impallomeni M, Falloon IR, Morosini PL, Chiaravalle E, Casacchia M. Reliability of an Italian standardized and expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale BPRS 4.0; in raters with high vs. low clinical experience. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1999; 100: 229–36. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Steinert T, Wiebe C, Gebhardt RP. Aggressive behavior against self and others among first‐admission patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatr Serv 1999; 50: 85–90. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Steinert T, Wolfle M, Gebhardt RP. Measurement of violence during in‐patient treatment and association with psychopathology. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000; 102: 107–12. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Swett C. Symptom severity and number of previous psychiatric admissions as predictors of readmission. Psychiatr Serv, 1995; 465: 482–5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Swett C, Mills T. Use of the NOSIE to predict assaults among acute psychiatric patients. Nurses' Observational Scale for Inpatient Evaluation. Psychiatr Serv 1997; 48: 1177–80. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yudofsky SC, Silver JM, Jackson W, Endicott J, Williams D. The Overt Aggression Scale for the objective rating of verbal and physical aggression. Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143: 35–9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]