Development of a Self-Administered Questionnaire to Detect Psychosis at High Altitude: The HAPSY Questionnaire
type: Article
item type: journalArticle
is part of: High Alt Med Biol
authors: Person
  surname: Hufner
  given name: K.
authors: Person
  surname: Brugger
  given name: H.
authors: Person
  surname: Caramazza
  given name: F.
authors: Person
  surname: Stawinoga
  given name: A. E.
authors: Person
  surname: Brodmann-Maeder
  given name: M.
authors: Person
  surname: Gatterer
  given name: H.
authors: Person
  surname: Turner
  given name: R.
authors: Person
  surname: Tomazin
  given name: I.
authors: Person
  surname: Fusar-Poli
  given name: P.
authors: Person
  surname: Sperner-Unterweger
  given name: B.
subject: Adult
subject: Altitude
subject: Altitude Sickness/*psychology
subject: Delphi process
subject: Environmental Exposure/adverse effects
subject: Female
subject: Hace
subject: Humans
subject: Male
subject: Mountaineering/*psychology
subject: Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
subject: Psychotic Disorders/*diagnosis/etiology
subject: Reproducibility of Results
subject: Surveys and Questionnaires/*standards
subject: high altitude
subject: positive symptoms of psychosis
subject: psychosis
subject: self-rating questionnaire
abstract: Aims: Psychotic symptoms during exposure to high altitude (HA) have been linked to accidents or near accidents on the mountains. It is thus of great importance to directly identify psychotic symptoms in individuals who are exposed to HA quickly and reliably on the mountain, even in the absence of experienced medical personnel. Psychotic features at HA frequently include positive psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking/speech. The aim of the current study was to develop the first self-administered questionnaire (High Altitude Psychosis [HAPSY] Questionnaire), which individuals may use in the future to self-assess altitude-related psychotic symptoms on the mountain. Methods: We utilized two existing self-rating questionnaires for psychotic symptoms (the Psychotomimetic States Inventory, PSI and the Cardiff Anomalous Perception Scale, CAPS) as the basis for a two-round Delphi process. As part of this process, additional statements were suggested by the 40 Delphi participants. Results: Eleven self-administered statements-all of them related to positive psychotic symptoms-were identified to be most useful for the self-detection of HA-related psychotic symptoms on the mountain. Conclusion: This is the first self-administered questionnaire that allows the identification of HA-related psychotic symptoms on the mountain. A subsequent validation study is needed to address the psychometric properties of this questionnaire. Clinical validation will have to be performed in a field study.
date: 2019-08-23
pages: 352-360
coverage: 31433210

High Alt Med Biol
type: Journal
volume: 20
number: 4
identifier: DOI 10.1089/ham.2019.0009
identifier: ISSN 1557-8682 (Electronic) 1527-0297 (Linking)