Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The reliable assessment of Formal Thought Disorder (FTD), a collection of observable signs of suspected thinking dysfunction, is the cornerstone of interviewing a person with psychosis. A significant gap persists between the success of reliable assessments reported in published rating scales of FTD and the practical constraints of a clinical interview. Validated rating scales largely focus on operationalized criteria for describing items; the procedural aspects of how to elicit these signs often remain implicit. We synthesize the principles and procedures of FTD assessment embedded in rating scales, translating their design into a framework for routine clinical use. Systematic employment of several manoeuvres can help elicit FTD signs: conversational stimulation, cognitive loading, social modulation, and pointed clarifications to stress-test thought, language and communication processes. By making these procedures explicit, we aim to equip clinicians and trainees with a strategic, measurement theory-informed approach to the psychiatric interview when assessing for FTD.
Source: BJPsych Advances
Institutions: McGill University, The University of Melbourne
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W7162665027