The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is a medical scale used for measuring symptom reduction of schizophrenia patients. It is also widely used in the study of psychosis. The name refers to the syndrome of positive symptoms, meaning those symptoms of disease that manifest as the presence of traits, and the syndrome of negative symptoms, meaning those symptoms that manifest as the absence of traits and a series of “general” symptoms for patients with different psychosis. The scale has seven positive-symptom items, seven negative-symptom items and,16 general psychopathology symptom items. Each item is scored on the same seven-point severity scale.

The 30-item PANSS was conceived as an operationalized, drug-sensitive instrument that provides balanced representation of positive and negative symptoms and gauges their relationship to one another and to global psychopathology. Based on two established psychiatric rating systems, it thus constitutes four scales measuring positive and negative syndromes, their differential, and general severity of illness.

Review of five studies involving the PANSS provided evidence of its criterion-related validity with antecedent, genealogical, and concurrent measures, its predictive validity, its drug sensitivity, and its utility for both typological and dimensional assessment.” (Kay SR, Fiszbein A, Opler, LA, 1987)

The Symptoms of Trauma Scale (SOTS) is a 9-item 7-point rating scale that can be used to measure severity, ranging from absent to extreme, of nine symptoms previously shown to be associated with trauma. Since the SOTS is not a diagnostic interview, it cannot be used to establish a diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Complex PTSD. Rather, the SOTS it is designed to be used to complement existing systems that establish trauma history as well as diagnosis.

Ratings for nine symptoms range from: 1=Absent to 7=Extreme. Because the SOTS provides a means of rating of symptoms at seven levels of severity (absent, minimal, mild, moderate, moderate severe, severe, and extreme), the SOTS can assess changes in trauma symptoms. This will become increasingly important as new treatments, both psychosocial and pharmacological, emerge to treat PTSD and other trauma related disorders.

The Symptom Specific Group Therapy, or SSGT is a set of six manuals designed by Dr. Anne-Marie Shelley. Each manual focuses on one symptom category of schizophrenia, including Positive symptoms, Negative symptoms, Trauma symptoms, Activation symptoms, Dysphoria, and Autistic Preoccupation. Each manual is intended to guide a group leader and/or co-leader in conducting group cognitive behavioral therapy sessions for patients who exemplify the specific symptoms for that group’s symptom module. Each group is intended to last approximately 12 weeks (based on group meetings once a week), and involved both interactive and teaching components. The SSGT-based program is currently being utilized at the Bronx Psychiatric Center, and is quickly gaining momentum in the realm of cognitive behavioral therapy nationwide.

• The SCI-SR is a brief interview that may be used in research and treatment settings to assess remission based on eight PANSS items.
• Informant data is required to confirm functional status on 4 of the 8 items. This data may be collected from third party sources (nursing staff, families, caregivers) or provided by the clinician conducting the interview (assuming sufficient patient contact has occurred in the prior period of interest) 
• Each item is rated using the well-validated criteria and anchoring points for each as described in the PANSS Manual©. 
• Unlike the SCI-PANSS, the SCI-SR may be administered in approximately 15 minutes or less. 
• Based on Andreasen et al. (2005), remission is defined as a score of 3 (Mild) or less for each item, maintained over 6 month period.