[Diagnosing mental disorders: gold or tin standard?--Critical comments on standardized diagnostic interviews and clinical routine diagnoses]

Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2008 Feb;58(2):72-5. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-986197. Epub 2007 Sep 24.
[Article in German]

Abstract

In a convenience sample of psychosomatic inpatients, Becker et al. reported poor diagnostic congruence between clinical diagnoses from routine examinations and DSM-IV diagnoses derived from the use of a computer-assisted standardized diagnostic interview (CIDI). The authors conclude that there is insufficient validity of such interviews in psychosomatic settings. This paper emphasizes that the results of Becker et al. do not justify this conclusion. Aside from substantial methodological deficits, we question the authors' assumption that clinical diagnoses could be regarded as an appropriate "gold standard".

Publication types

  • Comment
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Interview, Psychological*
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychiatry / standards*
  • Reproducibility of Results