PANSS
Encyclopedia
The PANSS or the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale is a medical scale used for measuring symptom severity of patients with schizophrenia
. It was published in 1987 by Stanley Kay, Lewis Opler, and Abraham Fiszbein. It is widely used in the study of antipsychotic
therapy.
The name refers to the two types of symptoms in schizophrenia, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association
: positive symptoms, which refer to an excess or distortion of normal functions (e.g., hallucination
s and delusion
s), and negative symptoms, which represent a diminution or loss of normal functions.
The PANSS is a relatively brief interview, requiring 45 to 50 minutes to administer. The interviewer must be trained to a standardized level of reliability.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. It was published in 1987 by Stanley Kay, Lewis Opler, and Abraham Fiszbein. It is widely used in the study of antipsychotic
Antipsychotic
An antipsychotic is a tranquilizing psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis , particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A first generation of antipsychotics, known as typical antipsychotics, was discovered in the 1950s...
therapy.
The name refers to the two types of symptoms in schizophrenia, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential worldwide. Its some 38,000 members are mainly American but some are international...
: positive symptoms, which refer to an excess or distortion of normal functions (e.g., hallucination
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
s and delusion
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
s), and negative symptoms, which represent a diminution or loss of normal functions.
The PANSS is a relatively brief interview, requiring 45 to 50 minutes to administer. The interviewer must be trained to a standardized level of reliability.
Interview items
To assess a patient using PANSS, an approximately 45-minute clinical interview is conducted. The patient is rated from 1 to 7 on 30 different symptoms based on the interview as well as reports of family members or primary care hospital workers.Positive scale
- Delusions
- Conceptual disorganization
- Hallucinations
- Hyperactivity
- Grandiosity
- Suspiciousness/persecution
- Hostility
Negative scale
- Blunted affectBlunted affectBlunted affect is the scientific term describing a lack of emotional reactivity on the part of an individual. It is manifest as a failure to express feelings either verbally or non-verbally, even when talking about issues that would normally be expected to engage the emotions...
- Emotional withdrawal
- Poor rapport
- Passive/apathetic social withdrawal
- Difficulty in abstract thinking
- Lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation
- Stereotyped thinking
General Psychopathology scale
- Somatic concern
- Anxiety
- Guilt feelings
- Tension
- Mannerisms and posturing
- Depression
- Motor retardation
- Uncooperativeness
- Unusual thought content
- Disorientation
- Poor attention
- Lack of judgment and insight
- Disturbance of volition
- Poor impulse control
- Preoccupation
- Active social avoidance
See also
- SCANSCANSCAN or Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry is a set of tools created by WHO aimed at diagnosing and measuring mental illness that may occur in adult life. It is not constructed explicitly for use with either ICD-10 or DSM-IV but can be used for both systems...
- Brief Psychiatric Rating ScaleBrief Psychiatric Rating ScaleThe Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale is rating scale which a clinician or researcher may use to measure psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hallucinations and unusual behaviour...
- SAPS (psychiatry) and SANS (psychiatry)
- Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatryDiagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatryThe following diagnostic systems and rating scales are used in psychiatry and clinical psychology.-Diagnostic Criteria:*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders *ICD-10 Chapter V: Mental and behavioural disorders...