HAMILTON-ANXIETY-RATING-SCALE INTERVIEW GUIDE - JOINT INTERVIEW AND TEST-RETEST METHODS FOR INTERRATER RELIABILITY

Citation
Gs. Bruss et al., HAMILTON-ANXIETY-RATING-SCALE INTERVIEW GUIDE - JOINT INTERVIEW AND TEST-RETEST METHODS FOR INTERRATER RELIABILITY, Psychiatry research, 53(2), 1994, pp. 191-202
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
ISSN journal
01651781
Volume
53
Issue
2
Year of publication
1994
Pages
191 - 202
Database
ISI
SICI code
0165-1781(1994)53:2<191:HIG-JI>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) is the most widely used semis tructured assessment scale in treatment outcome studies of anxiety. In terrater reliability coefficients for the HARS have been previously re ported. However, differences in the way clinicians assess symptom seve rity may reduce reliability. A structured interview guide-The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale Interview Guide (HARS-IG)-was developed to stand ardize clinical probe questions and to minimize interrater variance. J oint-interview and test-retest methods of interrater reliability asses sment were used in a group of 30 inpatients. Intraclass coefficient ca lculations revealed improved interrater agreement with the HARS-IG ver sus the HARS. The findings of this study demonstrate that the HARS-IG is a more reliable assessment instrument than the semistructured HARS and that it meets established standards of reliability assessment.