Abstract
The Behavioural Status Index (BEST-Index) has been introduced into Dutch forensic psychiatry to measure change in risk level of future violence. The BEST-Index is a structured observational measure that assesses aggressive behavior, degree of insight, social skills, self-care, and work and leisure skills during inpatient treatment. Thus far, limited information regarding the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the BEST-Index is available. The present study examines the reliability and validity of the Dutch BEST-Index in a sample of 291 mentally disordered offenders admitted to a forensic psychiatric hospital. Interrater reliability was investigated in a sample of 182 raters. Findings show that the Dutch BEST-Index can be used reliably and is significantly associated with risk of future violence and institutional aggression. Furthermore, this study revealed a different and clearer factor structure compared with the original one. Further research is needed to examine how these derived factors predict future recidivism.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 58-69 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Assessment |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Behavioural Status Index
- Factor analysis
- Forensic assessment
- Interrater reliability
- Observational measure
- Risk assessment
- Staff rating
- Violence