Dynamic occupation assessment of executive function in adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: An initial report

Objective: This study presents an initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Dynamic Occupation Assessment of Executive Function (DOAEF), a new tool designed to assess adolescents' executive function (EF) in daily situations and offering two levels of mediation through the administration process. Method: In the preliminary study, we tested 22 healthy adolescents. In the advanced stage, the instrument was administered to 105 healthy adolescents and to another 92 adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Information regarding EF was assessed by the DOAEF and Wisconsin Card Sorting Computer Version Test (WCST-CV-64). Results: Inter-rater, test-retest and internal consistency indices were found to be satisfactory. Correlation between the DOAEF and the WCST-CV-64 scores supports the DOAEF's convergent validity. Significant differences were found between the healthy participants and the adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, thus supporting the DOAEF's criterion validity. Conclusion: The DOAEF may be useful in assessing the level of mediation, which patients need for the comprehension of daily situations in which EFs are required.