Factor Structure of the Brief Psychiatric

The authors report the results of a confirmatory factor analysis of symptoms assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in a sample of 474 patients with schizophrenia, replicated in an independent sample of 327 patients. The most commonly used 5-factor solution for the BPRS fit the data poorly. Exploratory factor analyses performed on the first sample led to the specification of a 4-factor model that included Thought Disturbance, Anergia, Affect, and Disorganization. Confirmatory factor analyses on both samples indicated that the 4-factor model fit the data better than the previously proposed factor structure for the BPRS. Future research on the BPRS in schizophrenia should use the 4-factor model identified in this study.