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BackgroundDespite the widespread application of Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R), its psychometric weaknesses have repeatedly been noted. This study aimed to comparatively assess the psychometric properties of the SCL-90-R scales and the scales of its short versions Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Symptom Checklist-27 (SCL-27), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), Symptom Checklist-14 (SCL-14), and Symptom Checklist short version-9 (SCL-K-9) in patients with affective disorders.MethodsThe data of 2,727 patients within the main treatment group of affective disorders were assessed according to the DSM-IV. Patients completed the SCL-90-R and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsThere were no significant differences regarding the internal consistency of the SCL-90-R scales and the scales of the short versions. The dimensional structure was only supported for the short versions BSI-18, SCL-14 and SCL-K-9. The assessment of convergent validity revealed high correlations. With regard to the discriminant validity, there were medium correlations. With regard to the sensitivity of change, no significant differences between the scales were found.ConclusionsIn summary, the scales of the short versions show mostly satisfactory psychometric properties in comparison to the scales of the SCL-90-R. The results support the application of the short versions as screening instruments, especially the BSI-18, and more economic variants of the SCL-90-R covering a wide range of psychopathological symptoms.

Cognitive-behavioral models emphasize maintaining effects of safety behavior in anxiety disorders. Experimental evidence for deleterious effects of those behaviors is less consistent, leading to a controversy about their therapeutic use. The systematic integration of findings is hampered by the variety of concepts used to describe safety behavior, and methodological differences in empirical studies. This article provides a definition and classification of safety behavior in contrast to adaptive coping strategies. Existing evidence regarding contributions of safety behavior to onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders as well as effects of safety behavior on therapeutic outcome is reviewed. In contrast to previous justifications of safety behavior use, a rigorous procedure of identifying safety behavior and abandoning it throughout therapy is suggested.

The results show that health-related quality of life can be impaired in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Therefore, the psychosocial situation should be taken into account in the treatment of these patients.

The goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that physiotherapy-based intervention can reduce incidence of progression in children with IS. Two independent patient groups matched by age and sex at diagnosis were analysed using the outcome parameter, incidence of progression (> or =5 degrees ). One group was untreated and the other received scoliosis in-patient rehabilitation (SIR). Incidence of progression in groups of untreated patients ranged from 1.5-fold (71.2% vs 46.7%) to 2.9-fold (55.8% vs 19.2%) higher than in groups of patients treated with SIR, even when SIR-treated groups included patients with more severe curvatures. Statistically, the differences were highly significant. Efforts to test the hypothesis that physical therapies addressing postural imbalance can be used effectively in the treatment of IS have been limited. The results of this study are consistent with the possibility that a supervized programme of exercise-based therapies can reduce incidence of progression in children with IS.