STRUCTURED DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEWS AND CLINICIAN DISCHARGE DIAGNOSES INHOSPITALIZED ADOLESCENTS

Objective: In this study Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (D ISC-C) and clinicians' discharge diagnoses, as well as clinicians' adm ission and discharge diagnoses were compared. Method: Patients (N = 16 3) ages 12 to 16 were interviewed with the DISC-C during the first mon th of admission. The frequencies for different diagnoses by DISC-C and by clinicians at the time of admission and discharge were tabulated. Kappa coefficients were obtained from cross-tabulated frequencies of D ISC and clinicians' discharge diagnoses. Results: At discharge, the cl inicians diagnosed more patients with multiple diagnoses and also diag nosed more patients with conduct and substance abuse disorders, dysthy mia, and psychosis than they did at admission. The DISC-C diagnosed mo re patients with these disorders, except with psychosis, than did clin icians at either admission or discharge. The agreement between the cli nicians' discharge and DISC-C diagnoses remained low across the diagno stic categories. Conclusions: These findings support the view that the comprehensiveness and structure of the DISC-C can contribute to the s ensitivity of the diagnostic process.