The Self‐report Standardized Assessment of Personality‐abbreviated Scale: Preliminary results of a brief screening test for personality disorders

Objective The internal consistency, test–retest reliability and validity of the Self‐report Standardized Assessment of Personality‐abbreviated Scale (SAPAS‐SR) as a screening instrument for personality disorders were studied in a random sample of 195 Dutch psychiatric outpatients, using the Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM‐IV Personality Disorders (SCID‐II) as a gold standard. Method All patients completed a self‐report version of the SAPAS. One week later, they were interviewed with the SCID‐II. Two weeks later, the SAPAS‐SR was re‐administered. Results According to the SCID‐II, 97 patients (50%) were suffering from a personality disorder. The SAPAS‐SR correctly classified 81% of all participants. Sensitivity (0.83) and specificity (0.80) were slightly lower compared with the original English version. This difference may be explained by the lower prevalence and severity of personality disorders in the study population. Conclusion The results provide evidence for the usefulness of the SAPAS as a self‐administered instrument for screening personality disorders in clinical populations.