Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS): A Review
The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) is a widely used psychiatric assessment tool to assess the presence and severity of a variety of symptoms associated with affective disorders and schizophrenia. This review will discuss the history, development, and components of the SADS, as well as the overall utility of the instrument.
History and Development
The SADS was developed in the early 1970s by Dr. Robert Spitzer and colleagues at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. The goal of the instrument was to provide an easy to use tool for the assessment of affective disorders and schizophrenia. The SADS was based on the idea of symptom clusters, which are discrete sets of symptoms that occur together and are indicative of a particular disorder. Initially, the instrument was designed to assess the presence of the major affective disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. However, over time the SADS has been adapted to assess a wide variety of symptoms associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders.
Components
The SADS consists of two components: the affective section and the schizophrenia section. The affective section is designed to assess symptoms associated with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. It includes scales to assess symptoms such as depressed mood, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, and irritability. The schizophrenia section is designed to assess symptoms associated with schizophrenia, such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, and negative symptoms.
Utility
The SADS has been widely used in research and clinical settings to assess the presence and severity of symptoms associated with a range of psychiatric disorders. The instrument has been found to be reliable and valid, and can provide clinicians with a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s symptoms. Additionally, the SADS has been used to compare the severity of symptoms across different psychiatric disorders and can also be used to track changes in symptom severity over time.
Conclusion
The SADS is a widely used psychiatric assessment tool that is designed to assess the presence and severity of symptoms associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders. The instrument has been found to be reliable and valid, and can provide clinicians with a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s symptoms.
References
Fenton, W. S., McGlashan, T. H., & Spitzer, R. L. (1978). The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). Archives of General Psychiatry, 35(7), 837–844. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1978.01780070070004
Hazlett, E. A., & Spiker, D. G. (1998). Clinical Utility of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). Psychological Assessment, 10(2), 176–181. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.176
Robins, L. N., Helzer, J. E., Croughan, J., & Ratcliff, K. S. (1981). The National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule: Its History, Characteristics, and Validity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38(6), 381–389. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01790270014002