[The evaluation of reliability and validity of a preliminary version of the Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndrome (CASS)].

Basic indices of reliability and validity of a preliminary version of the new tool for "Clinical Assessment of Schizophrenic Syndrome" (CASS) was evaluated. Six experienced psychiatrists working in two teams examined the mental state of 49 patients with clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, in the majority of them confirmed by the criteria of DSM-IV and ICD-10 (one of the teams examined 25 patients, the other-24). Each diagnostician rated the patients' mental state independently, by means of three-level rating permitted by the CASS-CASS-G (global), CASS-D (dimensions), and CASS-S (symptoms)--as well as by means of BPRS and PANSS scale included in the study as international standard scales for validity testing. Statistical analysis of the results confirmed that the scales under study allow to obtain results which could be characterized, with few minor exceptions, by high concordance coefficients (Kendall's W) high internal consistence coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) and high correlations (as measured both by Pearson's and Kendall's rank correlation coefficients taub) with internationally appreciated standard scales. It suggests reliability and validity of the CASS to the degree which could be considered as encouraging to continue the study on this instrument.