Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia
Semi-structured interview for psychiatric diagnosis and symptom rating.
Last updated
The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) is a semi-structured diagnostic interview first published in 1978. It combines a fixed set of screening questions for multiple disorders with interviewer flexibility in phrasing and clinical judgment in scoring, which enhances sensitivity and inter-rater reliability. Three versions exist: the regular SADS, the lifetime version (SADS-L), and a change-measuring version (SADS-C).
Quick Facts
- Year first published
- 1978
- Versions
- Regular SADS
- SADS-L (lifetime)
- SADS-C (change)
- Interview type
- Semi-structured diagnostic interview
Facts from the source article.
K-SADS
The K-SADS (Kiddie-SADS) adapts the SADS for school-aged children aged 6–18 years. Several versions exist, each varying in disorders covered, symptoms, and scale ranges, but all remain semi-structured interviews. The K-SADS-E (Epidemiological version) focuses on current episodes only and uses a four-point rating scale for most items. The K-SADS-PL (Present and Lifetime version) interviews the parent(s) and child separately, then integrates them into a summary rating covering both present issues and past episodes; most items use a three-point severity scale (not present, subthreshold, threshold).
It has been used with preschool children as well. A 2009 working draft removed DSM-III-R references, and a DSM-5 version is being prepared. The WASH-U K-SADS (Washington University version) added items to depression and mania modules and used a six-point severity rating.
Did You Know?
- The SADS was developed by the same group of researchers as the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC).
- The SADS interview rates the subject's symptoms and level of functioning in addition to enabling diagnoses.
More in Mental Disorders Screening and Assessment Tools
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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