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Evaluating a household survey measure of psychic distress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Glen D. Mellinder ,
Mitchell B. Balter ,
Eberhard H. Uhlenhuth ,
Ira H. Cisin ,
Dean I. Manheimer  and
Karl Rickels
Glen D. Mellinder*
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
Mitchell B. Balter
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
Eberhard H. Uhlenhuth
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
Ira H. Cisin
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
Dean I. Manheimer
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
Karl Rickels
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Social Behavior, Oakland, California, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr G. D. Mellinger, Institute for Research in Social Behavior, 456 22nd Street, Oakland, California 94612, USA.
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Synopsis

This paper describes a study to assess the validity of a brief household survey measure of psychic distress (PSYDIS). The measure classifies persons according to their pattern of scores on four dimensions, including anxiety and depression. Study subjects were interviewed first respondents from the general population in a cross-sectional household survey. Then, according their ratings on PSYDIS, subsamples were selected for psychiatric evaluation in a clinic a few weeks later. The survey ratings of 287 persons were compared with evaluations of the same persons experienced psychiatrists. Overall levels of concordance ranged from 76% to 80%, depending the psychiatric criterion used. Concordance was very high for women; it was lower for men for persons classified as High on PSYDIS

We then applied two analytic strategies for increasing agreement between the clinical judgements and the clinical ratings. Strategy number I augmented the symptom checklist data with additional survey data on the subject's history of episodes of distress. Strategy II revised procedures for constructing the PSYDIS typology by (1) using more rigorous cutting point scores on the component scales, and (2) using a non-typological method of classification. The first strategy improved agreement between the clinic and survey measures; the second did not. The paper also compares PSYDIS with other brief symptom checklist measures.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , August 1983 , pp. 607 - 622
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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