SCL-90-R factor structure in an acute, involuntary, adult psychiatric inpatient sample

The dimensionality of the SCL-90-R was investigated in an acute, involuntarily committed adult psychiatric sample (N = 260) using common principal factor extraction and confirmatory factor analytic procedures. The findings show a large primary factor accounting for 42% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analyses failed to replicate the standardization data. These results are consistent with previous research suggesting a primary global distress factor. They raise questions of the validity of the SCL-90-R clinical profile from acute involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric adults.