Qpass is the product of the author’s doctoral dissertation at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The theoretical foundation of Qpass is the author’s Negaffect Model of Psychopathology, which described psychopathology as having three emotional dimensions: depression, anxiety, and anger. The development of the Qpass instrument consisted of three phases:

Phase 1 (1998-1999).
A 167-item pilot instrument was developed, based on an extensive review of psychological literature on depression, anxiety, and anger. A new testing format called Quick-flow was developed in order to permit the instrument to collect a considerable amount of data very rapidly. The format of the instrument was also worded and designed for readers at the 6th grade reading level or above.

Phase 2 (1999-2000).
The Qpass Research Team was formed, consisting of over 40 licensed mental health professionals recruited online from various regions of the United States. The research team administered the 167-item pilot instrument to 386 outpatients across the United States, and submitted the data to the author.

Phase 3 (2000-2001).
Statistical analysis of Phase 2 data led to the development of the psychometrically refined 105-item instrument eventually called the Quick Psychoaffective Symptoms Scan (Qpass). In a sample of 82 outpatients, Qpass was found to be a reliable and valid measure not only of depression, anxiety, and anger, but also of Global Psychopathology (that is, overall psychological distress), Psychoticism, Obsessive Compulsivity, Phobic Avoidance, Suicide Risk, and Violence Risk, and fourteen sub-constructs of depression, anxiety, and anger.

For more information on the development of Qpass, see Qpass Manual