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The total score of the Crown‐Crisp Experiential Index: A useful and valid measure of psychoneurotic pathology
Author(s) -
Birtchnell John,
Evans Chris,
Kennard John
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1988.tb02787.x
Subject(s) - neuroticism , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , scale (ratio) , personality , social psychology , physics , quantum mechanics
The Crown‐Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI) was designed as a measure of neurotic symptomatology. The tendency has been to report upon its six separate scales and to ignore the total score. We report on the use of the CCEI in a detailed interview study of 208 40–49‐year‐old women from a local community and 40 patients of the same age range and sex from a psychiatric hospital. In this study, scores on the six scales of the CCEI were shown to be highly intercorrelated. A case is made for combining the six scale scores to form an overall score of neurotic pathology. This score was validated against a number of variables. It was shown to be significantly related to psychiatric patient status, negative self‐evaluation, level of severity of current symptoms, evidence of previous psychiatric episodes, previous psychiatric treatment and psychiatric symptoms in childhood. These validation variables were themselves intercorrelated but severity of current symptoms, self‐evaluation and childhood symptoms had significant independent effects. It is concluded that scores on the six scales of the CCEI may be less important than the total score which provides a useful and valid measure of psychoneurotic pathology and has particular application as a screening instrument in community surveys.