Brief Description
The Standardized Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) is a screener for personality disorders used in clinical settings. The questions are designed to capture the presence of maladaptive personality traits and behaviors commonly associated with personality disorders. The items cover areas such as impulsivity, emotional instability, difficulty maintaining relationships, and problems with self-image; they were taken from the opening section of an informant-based interview, the Standardized Assessment of Personality (SAP) which allows an ICD–10 or DSM–IV diagnosis of personality disorder to be made. The SAPAS was designed to be brief such that it could be used in both routine clinical assessment when pressed for time, and potentially in community surveys. Respondents indicate whether or not they identify most of the time with the eight traits commonly found among people with personality disorders (e.g., “Would you normally describe yourself as a loner?”) on a Yes/No scale.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
8
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
Screener
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The SAPAS contains 8 questions scored on a nominal scale with values from 0 (“No”) and 1 (“Yes), with the exception of Item 3 that is reverse scored (i.e., on Item 3, No=1, Yes=0). A total score is calculated by summing the item responses and ranges from 0 to 8; higher scores are associated with higher levels of, or more severe, personality disorder symptoms. A score of 3 or higher is clinically significant and identifies the likely presence of a DSM-IV personality disorder.
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 2-3 minutes
When the response is given that indicates pathology (i.e., yes to item 1), the interviewer should follow up by asking if that is true in general.
The SAPAS could be used to identify individuals who are at potentially high risk of having any type of personality disorder in a general adult psychiatric setting.
The screen itself should not be used to make a diagnosis of personality disorder or cluster of personality disorders.
Citations
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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