ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study examines the validity and screening properties of the Borderline Syndrome Index--BSI (developed in the USA) for categories of the Personality Assessment Schedule--PAS (developed in the UK). METHOD: Patients were recruited by case control sampling. Chance corrected agreement between instruments and screening properties of the BSI were calculated. RESULTS: The BSI proved a moderately sensitive but non-specific screen. Questionnaire scores were highly correlated with symptom measures. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not support the validity of the BSI or its use as a screening instrument. BSI scores may be distorted by current symptoms.
Subject(s)
Borderline Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Borderline Personality Disorder/classification , Borderline Personality Disorder/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Contracting in psychiatric services from the NHS into prisons has been advocated to improve the care of the mentally disordered in custody. The Belmarsh Scheme is such a service. METHOD: A prospective study investigating the characteristics of a six-month cohort of remand prisoners requiring transfer to hospital and evaluating the service's effectiveness. RESULTS: Fifty-three (4.3%; 95% CL 3.2% to 5.6%) of the 1229 new remands required transfer to hospital; all were accepted. The transfer group contained a higher proportion of black men (51%) than all other remands (30%) (difference 21%; 95% CL 8% to 35%, P = 0.002). Transfer times were lower than those reported for a neighbouring prison. CONCLUSIONS: The Belmarsh Scheme secured in-patient psychiatric care rapidly for all those identified as needing it.
