Needs assessment has been highlighted as a crucial factor in the development, organisation and evaluation of mental health services. Moreover, meeting self-reported needs is of prime importance for ensuring quality of life and reducing social disability for people with severe mental disorders.

Service evaluation based on patients’ need assessments has never taken place in Greece. Furthermore there are no standardized needs assessment instruments. Given the underfunding of psychiatric services due to the current economic crisis, systematic need assessment is expected to contribute to the efficient use of their limited resources.

To examine the concurrent validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Greek research version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN-R).

Fifty-three schizophrenia patient–staff pairs were interviewed twice to test the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the CAN-R (Greek version). The WHOQOL-BREF and WHODAS 2.0 were administered to the patients to examine concurrent validity.

The inter-rater and test-retest reliability of patient and staff interviews for the 22 individual items and the eight summary scores of the instrument's four sections were good to excellent. Significant correlations emerged between CAN scores and the WHOQOL-BREF and WHODAS 2.0 domains for patient and staff ratings, indicating good concurrent validity.

Our results suggest that the Greek version of the CAN-R is a reliable instrument for assessing mental health patients’ needs. This is the first CAN-R validity study with satisfactory results using WHOQOL-BREF and WHODAS 2.0 as criterion variables.

In this work we consider Cloninger's psychobiological model, which measures two dimensions of personality: character and temperament. Temperament refers to the biological basis of personality and its characteristics, while character refers to an individual's attitudes towards own self, towards humanity and as part of the universe.

The Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised-140 (TCI-R-140) was administered to 3 divergent samples: a general population sample, a sample of male conscripts and a sample of individuals attending a substance abuse rehabilitation programme. Score differences among the three samples were assessed controlling for age and gender and reliability coefficients are reported. The latent structure was studied in all samples, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods (EFA and CFA respectively).

The proposed structure was partially replicated via EFA. CFA however indicated less than satisfactory fit, as in previously reported results. To improve the fit, the path diagram was augmented to account for multiple factor complexity, as suggested by the EFA results in all samples. While retaining the original seven-factor structure, the augmented model provided adequate fit. The consistency of the inventory was satisfactory in all samples. Evidence for the construct validity was found in relation to aggression.

This is the first study to conclude in adequate fit, after allowing for the indicators to load on more than one factor within each dimension. While cross-national differences apply, our results were similar (when comparable) with previously reported ones in the literature.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has a major impact on functioning. However, no validated measures of functioning for this population exist.

We aimed to establish the psychometric properties of the 5-item School and Social Adjustment Scale (SSAS) and the 10-item Physical Functioning Subscale of the SF-36 in adolescents with CFS.

Measures were completed by adolescents with CFS (n = 121).

For the Physical Functioning Subscale, a 2-factor solution provided a close fit to the data. Internal consistency was satisfactory. For the SSAS, a 1-factor solution provided an adequate fit to the data. The internal consistency was satisfactory. Inter-item and item-total correlations did not indicate any problematic items and functioning scores were moderately correlated with other measures of disability, providing evidence of construct validity.

Both measures were found to be reliable and valid and provide brief measures for assessing these important outcomes. The Physical Functioning Subscale can be used as two subscales in adolescents with CFS.

In recent years the association between sexual dysfunction (SD) and obesity in the general population has drawn major attention. Although sexual dysfunction is common in psychosis, its relationship with weight gain and obesity remains unclear.

To investigate the association between sexual dysfunction and obesity in a cohort of patients with first episode psychosis.

Sexual function was assessed in a cohort of patients with first episode psychosis using the Sexual Function Questionnaire (SFQ). Anthropometric measures, including weight, BMI, waist, waist–hip ratio were investigated. Additionally, leptin and testosterone were investigated in male patients.

A total of 116 patients (61 males and 55 females) were included. Of these 59% of males and 67.3% of females showed sexual dysfunction (SD) according to the SFQ. In males, higher SFQ scores were significantly correlated with higher BMI (Std. β = 0.36, P = 0.01), higher leptin levels (Std. β = 0.34, P = 0.02), higher waist–hip ratio (Std. β = 0.32, P = 0.04) and lower testosterone levels (Std. β = −0.44, P = 0.002). In contrast, in females, SFQ scores were not associated with any of these factors.

While sexual dysfunction is present in both female and male patients with their first episode of psychosis, only in males is sexual dysfunction associated with increased BMI and waist–hip ratio. The association between SD, BMI, low levels of testosterone and high levels of leptin suggest that policies that lead to healthier diets and more active lifestyles can be beneficial at least, to male patients.

To better understand the maintenance of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a valid and reliable measure of cognitive and behavioural responses to symptoms is required. Such a measure could also assess beliefs and coping behaviours in the context of fatigue in other somatic conditions.

We aimed to establish the psychometric properties of both the Cognitive and Behavioural Responses Questionnaire (CBRQ) and its shortened version (CBRQ-S) in adolescents with CFS.

The full questionnaire was completed by a clinical cohort of adolescents (n = 121) presenting to specialist CFS units in the UK.

Both the CBRQ and CBRQ-S had good internal consistency. The CBRQ scores were strongly associated with depression, anxiety, school and social functioning, but weakly associated with fatigue and physical functioning, providing evidence of validity.

Both the 40-item and the 18-item versions of the CBRQ were found to be reliable and valid in adolescents with CFS. To minimize unnecessary burden, the 18-item version is favoured. Using this assessment tool in future studies, including intervention studies, may help to better target interventions during clinical practice and improve outcomes.

Capturing service users’ perspectives can highlight additional and different concerns to those of clinicians, but there are no up to date, self-report psychometrically sound measures of side effects of antipsychotic medications.

To develop a psychometrically sound measure to identify antipsychotic side effects important to service users, the Maudsley Side Effects (MSE) measure.

An initial item bank was subjected to a Delphi exercise (n = 9) with psychiatrists and pharmacists, followed by service user focus groups and expert panels (n = 15) to determine item relevance and language. Feasibility and comprehensive psychometric properties were established in two samples (N43 and N50). We investigated whether we could predict the three most important side effects for individuals from their frequency, severity and life impact.

MSE is a 53-item measure with good reliability and validity. Poorer mental and physical health, but not psychotic symptoms, was related to side-effect burden. Seventy-nine percent of items were chosen as one of the three most important effects. Severity, impact and distress only predicted ‘putting on weight’ which was more distressing, more severe and had more life impact in those for whom it was most important.

MSE is a self-report questionnaire that identifies reliably the side-effect burden as experienced by patients. Identifying key side effects important to patients can act as a starting point for joint decision making on the type and the dose of medication.