The MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey: reliability, validity, and preliminary findings in schizophrenic outpatients.

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, test-retest 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 functioning 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.