A factor analytical study of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale among patients with anxiety and depressive disorders

A sample of 136 inpatients, meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for anxiety and/or unipolar depressive disorders, were rated on the 37 CPRS items designed for nonpsychotic disorders. By factor analysis we identified 2 indices: a 12-item depression index and a 7-item anxiety index. The indices proved to have good internal consistency and interrater reliability. They differentiated well between patients with anxiety and those with depressive disorders, and among subgroups of anxiety and depression. Our depression index may represent a slight improvement in specificity compared with previously suggested depression indices. Our main finding is the identification of an anxiety index with good psychometric properties.