Abstract

Objectives. The authors test the reliability and validity of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) as a written, self-administered survey in outpatients with chronic schizophrenia. Methods. Thirty-six schizophrenic outpatients completed a written and oral form of the SF-36. A psychiatrist rated the patients using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale to determine severity of psychopathology. Cognitive functioning and academic achievement were also assessed. Internal consistency, testretest reliability, concurrent and discriminative validity of the oral and written versions were determined. Results. The SF-36 in both forms was shown to have good internal consistency, stability, and concurrent validity. The mental health SF-36 subscales had poor discriminant validity, compared with the physical funtioning scale that demonstrated good discriminant validity. Conclusions. The validity of using the written form of the SF-36 on a sample of patients with chronic mental illness was demonstrated. The SF-36 appears to be an appropriate outcome measure for changes in physical and role functioning in consumers of outpatient mental health programs.