Validity and Reliability of SAPAS in Substance Abusers
Author Information
Author(s): Hesse Morten, Rasmussen Joachim, Pedersen Mads Kjær
Primary Institution: Aarhus University, Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research
Hypothesis
Can the Standardised Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) effectively assess personality disorders in substance abusers?
Conclusion
The SAPAS is a modestly valid and reliable tool for screening personality disorders in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- The internal consistency of the SAPAS was modest (alpha = 0.62).
- Test-retest reliability was moderately encouraging (intraclass correlation = 0.58).
- SAPAS scores were significantly correlated with nurse ratings of externalizing behavior (r = 0.42, p = 0.001).
- SAPAS scores were also correlated with Global Assessment of Functioning (r = -0.36, p = 0.006).
- 58% of participants had a personality disorder diagnosis according to the SAPAS.
Takeaway
The SAPAS is a quick test that helps doctors see if someone might have a personality disorder, which can be important for their treatment.
Methodology
The study assessed the psychometric properties of the SAPAS in a sample of methadone maintenance patients using nurse ratings for concurrent validity.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the subjective nature of nurse ratings and the lack of a gold standard for comparison.
Limitations
The study had a limited sample size and used a cross-sectional design, which may affect the validity of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The sample consisted of 58 patients, 42 men and 16 women, with a mean age of 39.9 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.06
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website