This study explored: (1) The test-retest reliability of DSM III lifetime diagnoses in 69 active alcoholic subjects interviewed twice, before entering treatment and 4 weeks later with the computerized format of the DISSI (derived from the NIMH-Diagnostic Interview Schedule). (2) The stability of psychiatric diagnoses yielded by both interviews as influenced by subjects' age, gender, current level of psychological distress and current toxic status. Poor agreement (Kappa values below 0.5) was found for panic disorder (k = 0.337) and phobic disorder (k = 0.477) while generalized anxiety disorder and depression/dysthymia presented only fair agreement (k = 0.658 and k = 0.696 respectively). Current levels of psychological distress assessed by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-58 (HSCL-58) was found to predict the risk of inconsistent reports. Contrary to expectations abstinence did not significantly influence the report of symptoms; neither did the age or gender of the respondents. Levels of self-perceived psychological distress may influence the recall of past symptom experiences among alcoholics and thus affect the reliability of lifetime reports in this population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.26166 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Vainer, Juana Luisa |
| Contributors | Negrete, Juan Carlos (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Psychiatry.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001482586, proquestno: MM94536, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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