Psychological Reports, 1990, 66, 561-562.
O Psychological Reports
1990
PREDICTING PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS I N RURAL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS ' DAVID M. CARSCADDON
Ckueland County Menhl Health Center Summary.-Using the Brief Symptom Inventory administered to 88 rural clients on Visit 1 and to 56 clients, 3 mo. later after Visit 3 with an evaluation of service, regression analyses suggested a 4-variable model, with fewer symprorns on Visit 1, higher income, lower anxiety, and younger age accounted for 70% of the total variance. Cross-validation is needed.
This study examined the relationship between demographic variables and the absolute number of psychiatric symptoms clients reported in a rural community mental center, using the Brief Symptom Inventory (2), a measure of psychological distress. This inventory was used to assess current symptom patterns for a twoweek period. The original data were collected from 104 outpatient rural community mental health clients, located in eastern Kentucky. The county population at the time of the study was less than 10,000. Sixteen cases were excluded because administrations of the instruments were inconsistent, data were lost, or there were questions about confidentiality. Of the 88 remaining cases, 29 (33%) were men and 59 (67%) were women. The mean age was 30.5 yr., with a range of 13 to 64 yr. The average range of monthly income was from $0.00 to $4,000.00. Clients were given the Brief Symptom Inventory on their first visit. O n their third visit, clients completed the inventory a second time and an Evaluation of Service Questionnaire. Within 90 days of the clients' last visit to the center they were mailed another set of the two forms which they were asked to complete. The clients were informed of the purposes of the study and their right to stop participating at any time. A preliminary level of analysis meant examining the data for a group of variables from the first visit (demographic questions and the Brief Symptom Inventory) that would best predict the total number of clients' symptoms on their third visit. To decide which variables best predicted the number of symptoms reported on the third visit, a multiple regression analysis was performed. Using a stepwise model-building operation, a four-variable model emerged; this model accounted for over 70% of the variance of the absolute number of symptoms reported on the third visit (multiple R = .84, R 2 = .71). The four variables were the lower absolute number of symptoms on the first 'Address correspondence to David M. Carscaddon, Cleveland County Mental Health, 222 Crawford Street, Shelby, NC 28150.
562
D. M. CARSCADDON
visit, higher income, lower anxiety on the first visit, and younger ages. These four variables were associated with fewer symptoms on the third visit. The estimate of the model resulted in an F of 30.78 and p < ,001. Given the high predictive value and the low interrelationship among the four variables, the model appears strong. However, cross-validation is needed to rule out a pseudo p value. TABLE 1 DEVIATIONS OF T SCORES ONBREF S Y ~ OINVENTORY M MEANSAND STANDARD Dimension Somatization Obsessive/Compulsive Interpersonal Sensitivity Depression Anxiety Hostility Phobic Anxiety Paranoid Ideation Psychoticism Global Severity Positive Symptom Distress Positive Svmptom Total
Visit 1, n = 88 M SD 60.9 12.6 63.1 12.5 60.9 12.8 65.6 11.2 65.2 11.1 61.8 12.2 59.3 12.1 62.8 12.6 64.0 13.0 64.6 11.9 62.2 11.1 64.8 11.2
Visit 3, n = 56
M
SD
54.8 58.9 57.4 60.4 58.9 57.8 55.8 59.9 62.7 60.1 56.3 61.1
12.4 14.2 13.8 12.8 13.1 11.6 11.8 12.9 13.7 14.1 11.3 14.1
The implication for clients and therapists is that, if one wanted to know whether a client would have fewer symptoms than average in absolute terms by the third visit, then it would be necessary to examine nonsymptom variables as well, to obtain a relatively accurate prediction. The above data also support previous studies showing a negative relationship between income and psychiatric symptoms (2, 3). I t will be important to replicate this study using the same model for prediction. REFERENCES L., & S P E N CP.~ (1982) , 1. DEROGATIS, The Brief Symptom Inuentory: administration, scoring and procedures manual: I. Baltimore, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research. 2. DOHRENWEND, B. P, & DOHRENWEND, B. S. (1969) Social status and pxychological disorder: a carisal inquiry. New York: Wiley. 3. HOLLINGSHEAD, A. B., & REDucH, F. C. (1958) Social c h s and mental illness. New York: Wiley .
Accepted March 12, 1990
562E ERRATUM CARSCADDON, D. M. Predicting psychiatric symptoms in rural community mental health clients. Psychological Reports, 1990, 66, 561-562. The author calls attention to corrections he desires to make in paragraph one where the reference should be to the first reference noted as (1), not (2). Also, the average range of yearly income was from $0.00 to $4,000.00. This was not the monthly income.
Erratum published in: Psychological Reports, 1990, 66, 1059E. © Psychological Reports 1990
O Psychological Reports
1990
PREDICTING PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS I N RURAL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS ' DAVID M. CARSCADDON
Ckueland County Menhl Health Center Summary.-Using the Brief Symptom Inventory administered to 88 rural clients on Visit 1 and to 56 clients, 3 mo. later after Visit 3 with an evaluation of service, regression analyses suggested a 4-variable model, with fewer symprorns on Visit 1, higher income, lower anxiety, and younger age accounted for 70% of the total variance. Cross-validation is needed.
This study examined the relationship between demographic variables and the absolute number of psychiatric symptoms clients reported in a rural community mental center, using the Brief Symptom Inventory (2), a measure of psychological distress. This inventory was used to assess current symptom patterns for a twoweek period. The original data were collected from 104 outpatient rural community mental health clients, located in eastern Kentucky. The county population at the time of the study was less than 10,000. Sixteen cases were excluded because administrations of the instruments were inconsistent, data were lost, or there were questions about confidentiality. Of the 88 remaining cases, 29 (33%) were men and 59 (67%) were women. The mean age was 30.5 yr., with a range of 13 to 64 yr. The average range of monthly income was from $0.00 to $4,000.00. Clients were given the Brief Symptom Inventory on their first visit. O n their third visit, clients completed the inventory a second time and an Evaluation of Service Questionnaire. Within 90 days of the clients' last visit to the center they were mailed another set of the two forms which they were asked to complete. The clients were informed of the purposes of the study and their right to stop participating at any time. A preliminary level of analysis meant examining the data for a group of variables from the first visit (demographic questions and the Brief Symptom Inventory) that would best predict the total number of clients' symptoms on their third visit. To decide which variables best predicted the number of symptoms reported on the third visit, a multiple regression analysis was performed. Using a stepwise model-building operation, a four-variable model emerged; this model accounted for over 70% of the variance of the absolute number of symptoms reported on the third visit (multiple R = .84, R 2 = .71). The four variables were the lower absolute number of symptoms on the first 'Address correspondence to David M. Carscaddon, Cleveland County Mental Health, 222 Crawford Street, Shelby, NC 28150.
562
D. M. CARSCADDON
visit, higher income, lower anxiety on the first visit, and younger ages. These four variables were associated with fewer symptoms on the third visit. The estimate of the model resulted in an F of 30.78 and p < ,001. Given the high predictive value and the low interrelationship among the four variables, the model appears strong. However, cross-validation is needed to rule out a pseudo p value. TABLE 1 DEVIATIONS OF T SCORES ONBREF S Y ~ OINVENTORY M MEANSAND STANDARD Dimension Somatization Obsessive/Compulsive Interpersonal Sensitivity Depression Anxiety Hostility Phobic Anxiety Paranoid Ideation Psychoticism Global Severity Positive Symptom Distress Positive Svmptom Total
Visit 1, n = 88 M SD 60.9 12.6 63.1 12.5 60.9 12.8 65.6 11.2 65.2 11.1 61.8 12.2 59.3 12.1 62.8 12.6 64.0 13.0 64.6 11.9 62.2 11.1 64.8 11.2
Visit 3, n = 56
M
SD
54.8 58.9 57.4 60.4 58.9 57.8 55.8 59.9 62.7 60.1 56.3 61.1
12.4 14.2 13.8 12.8 13.1 11.6 11.8 12.9 13.7 14.1 11.3 14.1
The implication for clients and therapists is that, if one wanted to know whether a client would have fewer symptoms than average in absolute terms by the third visit, then it would be necessary to examine nonsymptom variables as well, to obtain a relatively accurate prediction. The above data also support previous studies showing a negative relationship between income and psychiatric symptoms (2, 3). I t will be important to replicate this study using the same model for prediction. REFERENCES L., & S P E N CP.~ (1982) , 1. DEROGATIS, The Brief Symptom Inuentory: administration, scoring and procedures manual: I. Baltimore, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research. 2. DOHRENWEND, B. P, & DOHRENWEND, B. S. (1969) Social status and pxychological disorder: a carisal inquiry. New York: Wiley. 3. HOLLINGSHEAD, A. B., & REDucH, F. C. (1958) Social c h s and mental illness. New York: Wiley .
Accepted March 12, 1990
562E ERRATUM CARSCADDON, D. M. Predicting psychiatric symptoms in rural community mental health clients. Psychological Reports, 1990, 66, 561-562. The author calls attention to corrections he desires to make in paragraph one where the reference should be to the first reference noted as (1), not (2). Also, the average range of yearly income was from $0.00 to $4,000.00. This was not the monthly income.
Erratum published in: Psychological Reports, 1990, 66, 1059E. © Psychological Reports 1990
