PHOBIC DISORDERS IN THE ELDERLY - A COMPARISON OF 3 DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS

The case-finding performances of three operationalized systems for ide ntifying phobic disorder in the elderly (Geriatric Mental State (A) (G MSA)/AGECAT; DSM-III; Phobic Disorders Screen (PDS)) were compared in a sample of clients of a local authority community care service. There was considerable variation in the 1-month prevalence rates (3.6%-25.6 %) according to the different criteria, and the concordances between v arious levels of case definition in the diagnostic systems demonstrate d that this variation was due principally to different hierarchical di agnostic rules and severity criteria, including differing assumptions and expectations as to what constitutes a phobic disorder in old age.