Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
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SOMATIC CONCERN Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
ANXETY Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
EMOTIONAL WITHDRAWAL Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
CONCEPTUAL DISORGANIZATION Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
GUILT FEELINGS Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
TENSION Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
MANNERISMS AND POSTURING Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
GRANDIOSITY Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
DEPRESSIVE MOOD Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
HOSTILITY Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
SUSPICIOUSNESS Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
HALLUCINATORY BEHAVIOR Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
MOTOR RETARDATION Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
UNCOOPERATIVENESS Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
UNUSUAL THOUGHT CONTENT Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
BLUNTED AFFECT Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
EXCITEMENT Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
DISORIENTATION Not assessed Not present Very mild Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Extremely severe
R e s u l t s
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BPRS
 
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Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

The 18 item clinician administered scale is usually used in the assessment and monitoring of patients with major psychiatric disorders (usually schizophrenia or other psychotic disease). This scale is administered in a setting of a mixed structured and observational interview in which the patient's behaviors and interactions are also observed.

Each of the 18 items is rated from 1 to 7 with increasing numbers indicating increasing severity:

  • Not assessed [0 pt]
  • Not present [1 pt]
  • Very mild [2 pts]
  • Mild [3 pts]
  • Moderate [4 pts]
  • Moderately severe [5 pts]
  • Severe [6 pts]
  • Extremely severe [7 pts]

The Scale (18 items, Scored 0-7)

  1. SOMATIC CONCERN
    • Degree of concern or preoccupation over present bodily health, fear of physical illness, hypochondriasis
  2. ANXETY
    • Worry, fear, over-concern for present or future
  3. EMOTIONAL WITHDRAWAL
    • Lack of spontaneous interaction, deficiency relating to the interviewer, isolation deficiency in relating to others
  4. CONCEPTUAL DISORGANIZATION
    • Thought processes confused, disconnected, disorganized, or disrupted
  5. GUILT FEELINGS
    • Self-blame, shame, over-concern or remorse for past behavior
  6. TENSION
    • Physical and motor manifestations of tension, nervousness, and over-activation
  7. MANNERISMS AND POSTURING
    • Unusual, peculiar, bizarre, or unnatural motor behavior, the type of motor behavior which causes certain mental patients to stand out in a crowd of normal people (do not include tick, rate only abnormality of movements and do not include simple heightened motor activity)
  8. GRANDIOSITY
    • Exaggerated self-opinion, conviction of unusual ability or powers, arrogance
  9. DEPRESSIVE MOOD
    • Despondency in mood, sadness, pessimism, sorrow
  10. HOSTILITY
    • Animosity, contempt, belligerence, disdain for others (outside the interview situation)
  11. SUSPICIOUSNESS
    • Belief (delusional or otherwise) that others have malicious or discriminatory intent toward the patient, mistrust
  12. HALLUCINATORY BEHAVIOR
    • Perceptions without normal external stimulus
  13. MOTOR RETARDATION
    • Reduction in energy level with slow movements, speech, or reduced body tone
  14. UNCOOPERATIVENESS
    • Resistance, unfriendliness, resentment and lack of readiness to cooperate with the interviewer, rejection of authority
  15. UNUSUAL THOUGHT CONTENT
    • Unusual, odd, strange or bizarre thought content
  16. BLUNTED AFFECT
    • Reduced emotional tone, lack of normal feeling or involvement, flatness
  17. EXCITEMENT
    • Heightened emotional tone, agitation, increased reactivity
  18. DISORIENTATION
    • Confusion or lack of proper association for person, place or time

Range of Possible Scores = 0-126

Interpretation:

  • Mildly ill: 31-40
  • Moderately ill: 41-52
  • Markedly ill: >52

Response to therapy:

Minimally improved:

  • 24% reduction in score at 1 week
  • 27% reduction in score at 2 weeks
  • 30% reduction in score at 4 weeks

Much improved:

  • 44% reduction in score at 1 week
  • 53% reduction in score at 2 weeks
  • 58% reduction in score at 4 weeks

Reference:

  1. Leucht S, Kane JM, Kissling W, et al. Clinical implications of Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores. Br J Psych. 2005;187:366-71.
  2. Overall JE, Gorham DR. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychol Rep. 1962;10:799-812.
  3. Overall JE, Gorham DR. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS): Recent Developments in Ascertainment and Scaling. Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 1988;24(1):97-9.
  4. Rhoades HM, Overall JE. The Semistructured BPRS Interview and Rating Guide. Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 1988;24(1):101-4.