Objective: To determine the validity and reliability of the Thai version of WHO Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) version 2.1.
Material and method: The SCAN interview book version 2.1 was translated from English into Thai. The content validity of the translation was verified by examining the back-translation. Whenever inconsistencies were encountered, the Thai version was adapted to convey the meaning of the original. The revised Thai version was then field-tested in 4 regions of Thailand for comprehensibility of the relatively technical language. Re-edition of the Thai version was made in accordance with suggestions from the field trial. The complete SCAN Thai version was put into the computerized I-Shell program for inter and intra-rater reliability study.
Results: Based on the response from Thai subjects and consultations with competent and well SCAN-trained psychiatrists, content validity was established. The inter- and intra-rater agreement of somatoform and dissociative symptoms module were 0.77, 0.85; anxiety: 0.79, 0.84; mood: 0.80, 0.86; eating disorders: 0.73, 0.76; use of alcohol: 0.66, 0.82; stress and adjustment disorders: 0.90, 0.94; psychosis: 0.68, 0.76; cognitive impairment: 0 72, 0.78 and observed behavior, affect and speech module were 0.45 and, 0.51 respectively.
Conclusion: The SCAN version 2.1 Thai version proved to be a reliable tool for assessing psychiatric illness among Thais.