Appendix A: BPRS

The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) is an assessment tool to be administered by a mental health professional who has been trained in its application. It is used in clinical treatment and in research. The scale ranks symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or psychosis on a scale of 1, if symptoms are not present, to 7, if symptoms are severe. The BPRS can be useful to determine baseline symptoms or treatment effect. There are different formats of the instrument; some with ranking by numbers and some with terms, such as mild, moderate, and severe. Items on the scale indicate interview as the assessment technique, though some are answered through rater observation. Family report may also provide assessment data.