| Description: | The Kiddie Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (Kiddie-PANSS) is a 30-item clinician-rated instrument adapted from the adult PANSS to evaluate schizophrenia symptom severity in children and adolescents. It is designed to assess the severity of positive, negative, and general psychopathology symptoms in pediatric schizophrenia spectrum disorders. It modifies item wording and administration methods for developmental appropriateness.1 |
|---|---|
| Disease States: | Schizophrenia |
| Validated Uses: | Treatment Monitoring & Evaluation, Symptom Severity |
| Administration Method: | Clinician-report |
| Time to administer: | 30–40 minutes |
| Commonly used in: | Clinical Trials & Research, Clinical Practice |
| Detailed Description: | The Kiddie-PANSS retains the three-subscale format of the adult PANSS, with item descriptions and anchoring points modified for child comprehension.1
In contrast to the adult PANSS, the Kiddie-PANSS consists of a semi-structured, pre-patient interview used to gather information from the primary caregiver and a patient interview divided into semi-structured and structured sections.1 Each item is scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = absent to 7 = extreme) for a composite score summing all 30 items.1,4 Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity, with ranges of 7 to 49 for positive symptoms, 7 to 49 for negative symptoms, and 16 to 112 for general psychopathology.1 |
| Scale Validity: | In a study with 34 pediatric patients, internal consistency of the positive, negative, and general psychopathology subscales was reported to range from moderate to good, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.61, 0.82, and 0.78, respectively.1 |
| Alternative Versions: | Shorter versions of PANSS, including 10-item and 20-item forms, have been developed and shown to be as reliable and valid as the 30-item version. Shorter-form PANSS options may reduce the time and burden associated with longer evaluations.3 |
| Cited Limitations: | The 30-item pediatric PANSS can be lengthy and may be associated with increased levels of stress and fatigue in the patient and caregiver being interviewed. It also requires clinician training to ensure scoring reliability.3 |
Footnotes:
Supporting references for the filters are as follows:
Disease States: Schizophrenia1; Validated Uses: Treatment Monitoring & Evaluation, Symptom Severity2,3; Administration Method: Clinician-report1; Time to Administer: 30–40 minutes1; Commonly Used in: Clinical Trials & Research, Clinical Practice1
This resource is intended for educational purposes only and is intended for US healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals should use independent medical judgment. All decisions regarding patient care must be handled by a healthcare professional and be made based on the unique needs of each patient.
ABBV-US-02297-MC, V1.0
Approved 01/2026
AbbVie Medical Affairs