An initial study of the Internal Validity of the Portuguese Adaptation of the Marital Social-Skills Inventory / Adaptação do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais em Portugal: estudo preliminar de validação

In this study, we evaluated the internal structure of the Portuguese version of the Marital Social-Skills Inventory. After adapting the language of the inventory from Brazilian to European Portuguese, it was tested with 540 Portuguese respondents (20 to 70 years of age), who had been in a stable relationship for at least one year. A principal components analysis (n = 310) suggested that the internal structure includes four dimensions: Expressiveness, Self-affirmation, Self-control and Assertive Conversation. This structure was tested using a confirmatory analysis (n = 230), yielding satisfactory indicators of overall adjustment. Cronbach's alpha values for the first three dimensions indicated good internal consistency. The internal structure of the Portuguese version of the Marital Social-Skills Inventory-Villa & Del-Prette is coherent with the original structure, and psychometrically sound for the evaluation of marital social-skills among Portuguese couples. Thus, this instrument can be a useful tool in assessment and intervention work with couples.

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a estrutura fatorial de uma versão portuguesa do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais. Após adaptação do idioma português do Brasil para o português europeu, o inventário foi aplicado em 540 portugueses (com idades entre 20 a 70 anos), que estavam a viver em conjugalidade há pelo menos um ano. A análise dos componentes principais (n = 310) sugeriu uma estrutura de quatro dimensões, denominadas Expressividade, Autoafirmação, Autocontrolo e Conversação Assertiva. A testagem do modelo na análise fatorial confirmatória (n = 230) indicou um ajustamento global aceitável. O alfa de Cronbach das três primeiras dimensões demonstrou boa consistência interna. Conclui-se que a estrutura interna da versão portuguesa do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais-Villa & Del-Prette é coerente com a estrutura original e psicometricamente adequada à avaliação de habilidades sociais conjugais em portugueses. Assim, o instrumento poderá ser uma útil ferramenta na avaliação e intervenção com casais.

Social dysfunction and skills in schizophrenia: relationship with treatment response and severity of psychopathology

Abstract Background Social dysfunction is an important outcome for schizophrenia and can be measured by the evaluation of social skills. Objectives To compare social skills in patients with schizophrenia classified according the degree of treatment response and severity of psychopathology with normative controls by using the Del Prette Social Skills Inventory (SSI). Methods Cross-sectional study where the 38 questions SSI was applied to 62 outpatients with schizophrenia and compared with data of 99 normal controls from the general population. The SSI was evaluated by five domains. Psychopathology was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Patients were classified as Treatment Resistant (TRS) and Non Treatment Resistant (NTRS) by the International Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project (IPAP) criteria. ANCOVA was used to control for demographic differences between populations. Results Patients showed significantly more impaired than controls except for aggressiveness control. When variables such as age, age of onset, schooling or medication dose entered as covariates, differences between controls and patients, or TRS with NTRS, almost disappeared. The SSI and PANSS showed an inverse relationship between their domains. Discussion The SSI may represent a useful tool for evaluation of social skills in schizophrenia. Antipsychotics may exert a protective effect on social skills.