Use of the SADS (Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia) Diagnostic Interview in Evaluating Legal Insanity

• NCJ Number: 104290
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Dated: (1984) Pages: 1537-1541
• Author(s): R Rogers; A Thatcher; J L Cavanaugh
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Measurement/Evaluation Device
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based on 78 evaluations using the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS), this study determined that SADS differentiated between legally sane and insane subjects.

Abstract

SADS is an extensive diagnostic interview for quantifying the severity of psychiatric symptoms at discrete time periods. The study involved the consecutive sampling of all SADS criminal-responsibility evaluations at an outpatient forensic clinic from June 1980 to June 1983. Clinical judgments of legal sanity and insanity were made by experienced forensic psychiatrists. Clinical data from the SADS were organized and computer scored for the eight summary scales. Differences on the SADS summary scales were examined for the time of the crime and for current time. T-tests were performed for each of the eight summary scales. Differences between the subjects determined to be legally sane and insane were primarily in the severity of psychotic symptoms and overall level of psychological impairment. Also, preliminary data on institutionalized and outpatient subjects suggests the potential use of SADS in assessing the general psychological functioning of insane patients in treatment. 17 references.