Who provides the best retrospective information while assessing adult's premorbid functioning? A methodological study in a first-admission sample with psychosis

Silvana Fennig*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The present study investigates the quality of data received retrospectively from subjects in their first psychotic admission and from their relatives in comparison to school records. The sample included 161 subjects out of 309 subjects (51.4%) for whom at least part of the information about the school was received. The study showed that valuable information can be extracted from school records if done systematically. Significant other's (usually the biological mother) report more accurately on academic performance during the early school years than the subject himself. The school records did not always report behavioral and social problems reported by the subject themselves or their relatives. Conclusions: 1) For retrospective information on academic performance the school records can be considered the optimal source. When records are not available, parents, in general, provide reliable information. The respondent himself can be considered highly reliable when reporting poor grades; 2) Disruptive behaviors during the early school years are reported at high frequency by school records. Parents and respondents tend to report increasing disruptive behaviors during the middle and high school years; 3) When eliciting information about social domains it is important to obtain information from all available sources.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)79-87
Number of pages9
JournalIsrael Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences
Volume36
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

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