Introduction: Executive functions are essential for daily living, and assessing these functions is crucial in understanding executive dysfunction for people with schizophrenia. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adults version (BRIEF-A) is widely used to evaluate executive functions across nine scales. It is important to examine the construct validity of BRIEF-A in people with schizophrenia.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the construct validity of the BRIEF-A scales in people with schizophrenia.
Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted at a psychiatric center. A total of 197 participants with schizophrenia were enrolled in the study. The BRIEF-A self-report form was conducted. Rasch analysis was used to assess the unidimensionality of the nine BRIEF-A scales.
Results: The infit and outfit mean squares for all items on the nine scales ranged from 0.65 to 1.48. Principal component analysis of the standardized residuals for the nine scales showed values between 1.4 and 1.8.
Conclusion: The BRIEF-A demonstrates acceptable unidimensionality for people with schizophrenia, supporting its validity as a tool for assessing executive functions.